In my neighborhood, our garbage removal service charges us extra if we want to use a recycle container. We can take our recycle items to our nearest town (about 10 miles away) or we can just toss plastic and newspaper in with the trash.
Here’s a great chance for our community to educate us on the benefits of recycling.
In the U.S.A., over 2.5 million plastic bottles are tossed each hour! Think about it – soda, milk, water and juice bottles along with plastic grocery bags, shopping bags and all that nasty packaging that surrounds most of the products we purchase.
All plastic can be recycled yet a mere fraction actually is.
Why not? Because when there is an additional cost tacked on to my trash bill, it’s easier to just put the plastic and newspapers in the trash.
It takes me a few weeks to fill up my recycle bin and then to haul it into town – but I do it because it’s the right thing to do.
Now, if my trash service felt that way and educated us on why we should recycle and made it possible – imagine the impact it would make. One plastic bottle at a time … Imagine!
Related articles
- Internet Goodie #20: EARTH DAY! (mkmercurio.wordpress.com)
- The Importance of Recycling (greenerthinking.wordpress.com)
Happily ... after retirement 
I come from a country where recycling is almost an obsession. All new apartment buildings have the different containers already in place. Unless you live in a rural area, there’s always a recycling station handy. This has been going on for so long so people are used to it now. Very little goes into the ‘ordinary’ garbage, especially families that are into composting.
Where I lived in Quebec, they started to have a separate container for paper. The station was far off … you shouldn’t have to take the car to do recycling in a residential area, one would think?!
Here we have it right outside the grocery store.
You shouldn’t be charged for wanting to do the right thing. It should be the other way around, huh?! Same thing with buying environment friendly products — they’re more expensive!!!
LikeLike
I’ve been recycling for years. Kudos to those who do!
LikeLike
I am so lucky because the city furnishes us with a recycling bin and a trash bin. I rarely use the trash bin because most everything I have goes into recycling. I agree that one should not have to pay…however, I am sure it is hidden somewhere within my utility bill. That is o.k. because I believe in saving our little planet…as you say, one bottle at a time.
Good post!
LikeLike
We recycle here in NYC – bottles, cans, paper, etc. We have a pickup every Wednesday. But the city doesn’t offer recycling (yet) for old clothes that are no longer suitable for donating. Luckily through the internet, I’ve found a few locations that do. So come Friday, I’ll be recycling a huge bag. Can’t wait!
LikeLike
If we had more recycling education and used the recycle bins more and the trash bins less our landfills would stop their aggressive growth. Recycling costs money but the outcome is something we all benefit from down the road.
Save Planet Earth — Save Planet Earth!
LikeLike
I have a favorite place where I recycle my clothes. The proceeds go to an organization called A Woman’s Work. It feels good to hand over clothing, shoes, furniture and such and know the profits will be used to help women in need.
LikeLike
Pingback: The Majestic Plastic Bag – Part III «
there should always be a free recycling service available to every one. More needs to be recycled.
LikeLike