Recycle Right – Earth Day 2025

Earth Day and What It Means for Villagers

Earth Day was established in 1970, and since then, more than 192 countries have come together to celebrate it annually on April 22. For us here in The Villages, Earth Day is more than just a celebration—it’s a reminder of how we can contribute to a more sustainable future.

As Villagers become increasingly aware of sustainable practices and learn to better distinguish between recyclables and garbage, we have the opportunity to significantly reduce waste. Even more importantly, we can divert more of our waste into renewable and reusable resources.

Many Villagers have asked: What actually happens to our garbage and recyclables after they’re picked up? To help answer that question, I recently had an opportunity  to join Sustainability Club members Bill DeVincenzi and Rick Alpers for a tour of the Green Waste facility in San Jose.

If you’ve ever thought garbage couldn’t be exciting—think again. The facility, which is impressively clean and well-organized, is divided into two main buildings: one for garbage and one for recycling. What they achieve there is truly remarkable. Using a combination of high-speed conveyor belts, AI technology, human sorters, and robotic sorters, the facility processes 45 tons of household waste and recyclables every hour.

Here’s the incredible part:

• 85% of single-stream recyclables are recovered
• 75% of garbage and mixed compostables are diverted from landfills
• 98% of yard trimmings are repurposed

The mystery of where our waste goes—and how it’s handled—has been solved. And what we learned confirms that our individual efforts to recycle properly really do make a difference.