Today, Greenopolis celebrates America Recycles Day. Yes, we’ve heard... it’s a Sunday, and recycling centers aren’t open. Please don’t shoot the messenger... we didn’t come up with this idea, we’re just helping promote it!

Encouraging recycling is so important. And America Recycles Day is a great opportunity to rethink your habits and begin making some positive changes. Recycling benefits not only by reducing trash in our landfills and preventing pollution, it also feels good, doesn’t it?

Even though recycling centers aren’t open, there are hundreds of events going on around the country that promote recycling. And there are recycling opportunities at every one of those events. But you don’t have to go anywhere to celebrate America Recycles Day. There are many ways to participate and do something positive right at home.

8 Ways To Make A Positive Impact At Home On American Recycles Day

1. Take a moment today to celebrate how far we’ve come as a nation. Cynics, check yourself here. Remember that it’s always a good idea to stand up, stretch and take a good long look at what you’ve accomplished before you put your head down and get back to work! Now is a good time redouble your efforts to help save the planet. Today is a good time to teach your kids about the importance of recycling. It’s a prime opportunity to use products made of recycled materials. It’s a day to set aside time to think about ways to make recycling a habit. I look forward to the day when we’ll no longer need to set aside a special day to encourage recycling, because it will be a way of life. Like bathing or regular dental checkups.

2. Reassess your recycling habits. Are you recycling everything you could be recycling? Are you recycling items correctly? Take a moment today to research recycling opportunities in your community and take advantage of any new ones you discover.

3. Start a recycle pool. Even if you’re dropping off items at each facility, driving to several different recycling centers each week (glass, plastic, paper) is wasteful. Take time today to get together with your neighbors and start a recycle pool. Collect and sort your recyclables, and then assign days or a rotation of individuals to take the recyclables to their assigned centers. The rotation can be based on drawing numbers, or something easier, like convenience. Example, Mrs. Jones next door takes her kids to Pecan Park Elementary, where they have newspaper recycling every other Thursday, so she take all the newspapers. While you go right by the plastic recycle center on your way to work, so you take the plastics each Friday.

4. Craft Some Reusable Shopping Bags. Grab your kids and some leftover fabric, worn out blue jeans or even that leaky tent you were going to replace and spend the day making some reusable shopping bags for grocery trips.

5. Get the junk mail monkey off your back. I don’t know anyone who likes junk mail, so take some time today to sit down at your computer and make the switch to electronic statements. Not only does it save trees and reduce waste, it’s safer. Most websites have security software in place that prevents hackers from stealing your information online. Not so with your mail box.  In fact, the mail box is one of the most common places criminals troll for identities.

6. Clean out your closet or garage. It’s a chore, I know, but you know it needs to be done. And every gently-used item you donate to charity is an upcycling opportunity for someone else. Even stained or slightly damaged items like bedspreads and towels will be welcomed at the local animal shelter. Donate wearable women’s business clothes to Dress For Success, a group that helps disadvantaged women looking for employment.

7. Start composting. This is a great family project. It doesn’t take much to get started reducing the amount of waste you haul to the curb and creating some rich fertilizer for your lawn or garden. Just a few clippings from your yard, some non-meat food waste like vegetable peels and a few worms, and you’re on your way. Your garden will thank you. Learn how to create your own rotating barrel composter.

8. Plan a waste free Thanksgiving. Sit down right now and make a plan to reduce the amount of waste you’ll generate this holiday. Make a meal plan that includes locally grown, in-season produce. Plan what you’ll do with your left over turkey so that none goes into the trash. If you plan to buy plates or napkins, purchase only those that are made of recycled material or can be recycled after use. Choose a holiday wine that comes in a PET plastic bottle and recycle it after use. Find some good selections at Wine.com.

Keep America Beautiful, Inc. and the National Recycling Coalition(NRC) came together to create America Recyces Day twelve years ago to help encourage America to think about reuse and responsibility. By educating each other about the benefits of recycling now, we’ll save a lot of resources in the future.

Share

Email this page Login or register to post comments

(0comments)

Print

Subscribe To Lite Green's Stories:

Subscribe by reader

Subscribe by Email

Click here to learn more about Sebrina