Recycling: you can't believe everything you hear
By Desiree Chevalier
Lance Writer
November 5, 2008
 On the subject of recycling, it seems as though everyone has become an expert. Just the other day, a security guard was telling me that recycling is “useless” because the trucks are mysteriously disguised as recycling trucks when, in reality, they just drive directly to the dump. And to think, I was carefully sorting my paper and plastic only for it to end up mixed in with the mountains of McDonald’s kid’s meal toys and take-out containers.
Well, thank goodness I picked up that trusty tidbit of information. Really now, I know your friend Becky who is a fitness instructor is not an expert on climate change, as I know the security guard at the mall was not a recycling specialist.
You would never trust your dry-cleaner to tell you about diversifying your stocks and bonds, so why is it that everyone is so easily persuaded by the ‘average Joe’ on environmental issues?
Part of the problem is that people so rarely decide to look into environmental issues, like recycling, for themselves. In our busy lives, people, especially students, may not even take the time to understand the candidates for an election let alone go out and get good information and formulate an educated opinion on environmental issues. And trust me, I do see the irony in the fact that I am here, talking to you about recycling, preaching to the choir. But I’d like to think I’m doing something a little different. I’m not going to tell you not to recycle; instead I’m going to ask you to think logically and critically about the state of our environment and what you can do to help.
Do you think you want to believe information that makes recycling seem useless because it’s easier than breaking down a few cans and putting out the recycling bin every other week? Get tough with yourself, and think it through.
Below are a few key issues associated with recycling.
“I have to drink bottled water because it’s healthier.”
Bottled water is one of the worst things that ever happened to the environment. In our society, we have perfectly good drinking water unlike many places on this earth and yet we pay somebody to bottle it for us – wasting massive amounts of plastic and energy in the process.
Yes, I know there are the occasions when you don’t have time to wait for the Brita to filter and grab a bottle of water. Don’t stress, just realize that every little bit helps. Re-filling a cup or re-usable bottle saves massive amounts of plastic waste from ending up in the landfill (or affixed to the giant floating plastic mass in the ocean—yep, it exists, Google it).
Getting out of the bottled water habit is imperative because even if those bottles are recycled (which is still leaps and bounds better than throwing them away) the amount of energy it takes to break them down for re-use is staggering.
Try leaving an empty re-usable aluminum bottle in your back-pack for school and use glasses at home. You’ll save money and be helping the environment. If you are unsure how to sort plastics for recycling, or what plastic can be recycled, see the link at the end of this article.
“It’s all natural, right?”
It’s a common misconception that throwing out paper is a-okay because it’s biodegradable. All those paper towels and cardboard T.V. dinner boxes will break down in the landfill, so it’s not really necessary to recycle them, right? It’s an extra hassle that you just don’t need, because, man, Grey’s Anatomy is on and you just have to see why Meredith is in turmoil this week. Landfills are covered over each day with six to 12 inches of soil that basically puts a lid on the garbage and keeps it away from the key components of decomposition; sunlight, oxygen, and water. Literally, bad news: a decade-old newspaper will likely still be readable if unearthed today due to the lack of decomposition in the average landfill.
“I thought the Energizer Bunny took care of that…”
It might seem odd to you that I’m talking about batteries in a recycling article. You’re probably thinking … plastic, paper, aluminum cans. But batteries? The reason why I bring you this little tidbit is because throwing out batteries means significant amounts of heavy metals and other toxic substances are eventually released into the environment when the batteries leak (which they will, in time). To preserve our groundwater and soil, it is imperative that we do not throw batteries in the garbage. Unfortunately, because there is no profit turned by recycling batteries, there is no curb-side pick up for batteries in Essex County. But, since batteries don’t take up much space, you can keep them in a container and bring it to one of the two household chemical waste centres affiliated with the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority. One is located in Windsor and the other is near Kingsville/Leamington.
Visit www.ewswa.org/pages/recymain.html for hours and location information.
For more information on what can be recycled and any other information about recycling, visit www.ewswa.org for more information. A handy residential recycling guide is available on the site that you can easily stick on the fridge for reference.
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