Recycling is an easy habit to establish, and significantly reduces what goes into the garbage can each week. In my region, paper including corrugated cardboard, glass, plastics labeled 1 or 2, and metals go into a blue bin that’s picked up curbside each week at the same time trash is picked up.
Our area has an effective recycling program that has won national recognition and is a visible and respected entity in the community. Regular newsletters mailed to all residents update us on new items that can go into recycling, such as used pizza boxes, batteries placed in a special yellow plastic zip lock bag, and now aseptic packaging.
The program also establishes computer and television drop-off days at least once a quarter to dispose of these items, and also paint disposal days, so if you have old paint you wish to get rid of, they’ll accept the cans. The resulting mixes (both latex and oils separately) are then used in community projects around the area when painting is required (everything always seems to come out a usable grey shade).
The habit of recycling has become so ingrained in my family that when we vacation in areas where no recycling programs exist, we sort and bring home our paper, glass, plastic and metals to recycle at home.
Realizing that recycling can only occur if the recycled materials have market value, we make it a point to seek out and buy products that use recycled materials.
Some may say it’s inconvenient, but we feel good about recycling and realize that bit by bit, we’re altering the waste stream and changing the world for the better. According to one environmentalist “Recycling is one of the three Rs of environmental preservation--reduce, reuse, and recycle--then why is recycling not mandatory?”
At last, I want to say recycling should be mandatory because recycling is of three things that are reducing, reusing and recycling.
Our area has an effective recycling program that has won national recognition and is a visible and respected entity in the community. Regular newsletters mailed to all residents update us on new items that can go into recycling, such as used pizza boxes, batteries placed in a special yellow plastic zip lock bag, and now aseptic packaging.
The program also establishes computer and television drop-off days at least once a quarter to dispose of these items, and also paint disposal days, so if you have old paint you wish to get rid of, they’ll accept the cans. The resulting mixes (both latex and oils separately) are then used in community projects around the area when painting is required (everything always seems to come out a usable grey shade).
The habit of recycling has become so ingrained in my family that when we vacation in areas where no recycling programs exist, we sort and bring home our paper, glass, plastic and metals to recycle at home.
Realizing that recycling can only occur if the recycled materials have market value, we make it a point to seek out and buy products that use recycled materials.
Some may say it’s inconvenient, but we feel good about recycling and realize that bit by bit, we’re altering the waste stream and changing the world for the better. According to one environmentalist “Recycling is one of the three Rs of environmental preservation--reduce, reuse, and recycle--then why is recycling not mandatory?”
At last, I want to say recycling should be mandatory because recycling is of three things that are reducing, reusing and recycling.
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