Why Don’t They Recycle?

Recently, I was invited to a party. The hostsAs my Mother always said, “Do it right the
were lovely, the home was large and beautiful in afirst time and you won’t have to go back and
well-to-do area. Everything about the day wasdo it again.”  We only have one country, one
fantastic, except for one thing...they didn't recycle.Earth, we should honor it, revere it and take care
I noticed glass bottles in the trash, I thoughtof it.  Over the last 100 years of the world’s
maybe some partygoer made a mistake. Then Igrowth we have taken for granted that the Earth
noticed another and another, no mistake.would just sustain.  It would always be here for
Does their township not offer recycling? I can'tus to manipulate it and abuse it as we chose.
imagine these intelligent, well read people wouldWhat can one do if recycling is not offered in
have a blatant disregard for the environment. Iyour area?  Take Action, write a letter to your
didn't ask. That would be poor etiquette.  I shouldlocal newspaper, the township officials and your
have though, I could have at least taken thosecounty freeholders.  Make everyone aware of
bottles with me and recycled them at my house.the damage that is being done.  You voice will be
It leaves me wondering, why don't they recycle?heard.  Get children involved in your quest for a
Cans, bottles and paper are the most widelybetter world.  Children are innovative thinkers and
recycled products in the nation. Why not there? Ican make a real difference.
am sure there are many areas of our countryFor example:  Recently a local Boy Scout Troup
that are still in the dark about recycling. We arein our area provided a hard plastics pick up to
the self-proclaimed leaders of the world, yettheir community. Hard plastics are items like:
many other countries have far surpassed usPlastic lawn furniture, kids molded plastic play sets,
environmentally.  There are some countries, such5gal water bottles, etc. Any large hard plastic
as Sweden where composting your food scrapsitems. They sent out fliers, collected these items
is mandatory.  They have been able to reduceon a particular date and took them to the
the amount of green waste going into the landfilltownship Public Works Facility, where from there
drastically.   Food scraps will not effectivelyit was taken by the township to the County
breakdown inside a plastic bag in a landfill, in fact itRecycling Facility. They collected over 500 pounds
contributes to the production of methane gas,of hard plastic that would have ended up in the
one of the leading destroyers of the ozone.dump!
It is our responsibility, to hold our government andIt does take some effort on our part to recycle
ourselves accountable. The USA is more thanhard plastics, however a quick trip to the
capable of implementing recycling in every state,Township Public Works Dept. will keep these items
county and municipality... we should insist on it.out of our landfills. They can then be recycled and
It is more cost effective over the long term toturned into other useful products, like Polywood
have these programs in place.  RecyclingFurniture. By asking our local municipalities, maybe
products, makes new products with  a smallerthey will offer one or two pickups per year. By
footprint than products using virgin materials. recycling these hard plastics we can save valuable
Recycling saves thousands of acres of landfillspace in our landfills.
space every year.  Recycling also reduces theThese young boys made a difference in our
amount of methane gas being produced in landfillscommunity and our environment. We should all
and chemicals from leaching into our soils andfollow their example. If everyone nationwide
making its way into our ground water supply. would make this small extra effort to recycle, the
Once the damage is done, it is difficult and costlyeffects would be staggering. Reduce, Reuse,
to undo.Recycle!