Day 1 & Little Lessons.

So, we've officially started a recycling program for our apartment complex and though there are only 4 apartments, the waste that we produce is more than I'm sure we know. We bought some trashcans, made some signs, gave instructions to everyone and here we go. A few beginner tips for everyone out there desirous to do the same...

1. Check with your local recycling company before you launch into what you think might work. It's beneficial to know if yours will take big bags of everything and sort themselves or if it's more of a self-service center where each item needs to be bagged separately. Ours is self-service so it's important that each category is separated for easy drop off. The Smithville center only accepts aluminum, plastic, cardboard and newspaper so we will need to take 'other' paper, glass and ink to Bastrop.

2. Reminding participants is important...especially in Phase 1. We are so used to 'trashing' that we mindlessly toss things into the garbage that can actually be recycled. I was actually tempted to trash the very sign I was making for one of my containers because it wasn't pretty. Really Whit? It's a recycling bin. Like I said, these growing pains are very real and deserve attention. ;) Remember, we're retraining ourselves here so patience is necessary and peeking into the trash to see if anything snuck in is also important.

3. Know thy center. The home page of http://www.earth911.org/ will allow you to search for centers in your area by product so it's easy to figure out if they accept #1 or #2 plastic, only aluminum, etc. This will take the guesswork out of your recycling program. NOTE: You might have to drive a few miles to find a center that accepts all of what you can recycle, but if you can share the load with neighbors and friends, the value of recycling should outweigh the cost of gas to get there. ;)

3. Know your products. The following link leads to an article on plastics, the difference between them, what items are represented by what number, etc. Bon Appetit'! http://home.howstuffworks.com/question217.htm

4. Don't get discouraged! Remember, you have come upon this passion and though it becomes contagious, don't expect everyone to be on the same page as you right away and be prepared for the fact that they might not ever be. This could cause tension if they are someone in your household, but remember that there's no need to exchange our love for our neighbor with a greater love for the environment. God's desire is our love for both and the harmony therein.

Happy Greening.