Letter: Recycling is easy, essential to save energy, resources

Saturday, July 2, 2005 | 12:05 p.m.

WEEKEND EDITION

July 2-3, 2005

When my husband and I moved into our house, we were delighted to discover recycling pickup was available ... and they even provided bins! We had been storing our recyclables in our apartment, and each month we hauled them across town to a redemption center. That's how important we think recycling is.

Last Thursday (our day to recycle), I pulled the full bins to the curb. When I looked up and down the street, I saw everyone had their overflowing trash cans out, but not a recycle bin in sight. Not believing my eyes and assuming I had the wrong day, I walked the entire neighborhood to see if anyone was recycling. In a community of 90-plus homes, I found only three other houses with recycle bins out.

I urge my neighbors to recycle. It is easy to do and takes very little effort. You can be directly responsible for saving natural resources and energy. Energy is used to process raw materials and manufacture new items. You can slow down the filling of landfills. (And hey ... free bins!)

Even if you begin by just recycling cans, bottles and newspapers, you can make a difference. Each ton of recycled paper saves 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill space, 4,000 kilowatts of energy and 7,000 gallons of water!

I also urge our local science teachers, if they aren't already doing so, to discuss recycling in the classroom. Quite often, children become the best motivators in a family to start recycling.

LAURIE QUINTILIANI