Recycling

The city of Monticello voted some time ago, at the urging of a few residents, to help its citizens recycle. Even though the city has to pay every time the dumpster holding recyclable materials is picked up, it was considered a service to the citizens.

Some of us realize that there is a finite amount of earth on which we live. The more earth taken up with garbage, is less earth to live on. I enjoy living in our rural area where we take the trees and pastures for granted. But, many of us here recognize that we are blessed with open spaces.

My sister laughs at me because I recycle as much as possible. Since the city began offering its recycling service, I don’t even need to take my garbage container to the curb but about once a month. At the office, we generate more recycling than trash, the same as at home.

But, that could come to a screeching halt. The city is thinking of doing away with the service. Why? Because some people abuse the service.

The dumpster that has been placed at the city lot for our recyclables for years is being treated as a dumpster for household waste. And, our recyclables are not being recycled. When they are contaminated with considerable unrecyclable stuff, such as food, dirty diapers, yard clippings, etc., then it is no longer effective to try to recycle it. So, the stuff in the dumpster has had to be trashed several times.

So, the city is thinking of ending the service.

That’s why I’m writing this. Those of you who recycle, like me, need to help police the dumpster. Remind everyone that it is for recyclables only. It is good for us to recycle. It helps the world we live in.

Those of you who would abuse the service…stop. Every household in this county has a trash receptacle. Use it for your trash.

Recycling is voluntary. You have to go out of your way to take your recyclables to the city lot. So, those of you who don’t want to….don’t. Just keep your garbage at home, so that those of us who do want to take care of our world can do so.

I take lots of cardboard, paper, plastic bottles, glass and other appropriate items to the recycling bin. One way to tell recycling from garbage is recycling doesn’t stink. I have two bags at home. In one I put stuff to go to the curb. In the other I put my recycling. I brought my recycling bag to town last Friday, when I was planning on writing this column.

I didn’t get the column written—busyness, procrastination, whatever—so I decided I’d leave my recyling in the car until I wrote it. Now, it’s late Monday. I can forget my recycling again. Because it is clean.

Now mind you, I don’t clean my salad dressing bottles, my milk jugs, my pickle jars. But, I do rinse them and put the top back on them. It’s easy. I’d love to encourage everyone to participate…Mother Earth would be happy.

But, right now, I’m just encouraging those of you who don’t participate to STAY AWAY FROM THE RECYCLING DUMPSTER.

Thank you!