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Published on August 26th, 2008

Paper Piling Up In Florida

by Ashley Schiller

Elections are coming and that means excessive paper waste in Florida, reports the Palm Beach Post.

This year marks the first statewide use of optical-scan voting, in which marked paper ballots are read and tallied by a machine. Having a hard copy of the votes will allow for manual recount should that be necessary, proponents say.

But some are concerned about the waste that will be generated.

In Palm Beach County alone, more than 178,400 pounds of paper ballots will be used for the primary and general elections. The waste will be equivalent in weight of 21 Hummer H2 sport utility vehicles, according to the Post.

And all that paper won’t be going to a recycling facility for at least a year. A 2007 state law requires the ballots be stored for at least 22 months after an election. Officials are scrambling to find warehouse space.

Got left over paper at your house? Recycle your paper using Earth911.

Ashley Schiller

Ashley Schiller

Ashley Schiller is a freelance writer. She is currently finishing her bachelors in political science and journalism.

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