Level: Beginner
Lisa Grossman, Associate Test Engineer, JMP
Mandy Chambers, Principal Test Engineer, JMP
With a growing population in Cary, it is important to understand the environmental impact that a household can incur and what sustainable options are available that can minimize an individual’s environmental footprint. Recycling, for one, is a universally known method that reduces waste that would otherwise be disposed at landfills, which already is a capacity concern around the world. According to the Recycling Coalition of Utah, only 25% of plastic produced in the U.S. gets recycled, and recycling the other 75% could mean saving up to 44 million cubic yards of landfill space annually. Using recycling data that is recorded by the Town of Cary, we will analyze the relationship between the collected waste and recyclables. We will also construct visualizations to explore the breakdowns of waste and each recycling category. The goal is to compare our analysis with statistics from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to assess recycling practices of the people of the Town of Cary and determine levels of further recycling potential. With our findings, we hope to communicate about local environmental initiatives and inform about recycling efforts in our very own community.
