Recycling is Important

 

            One of the discussions C and I have sometimes is about recycling. It usually starts when I see something in the garbage that belongs in the recycling basket. In the interest of fair disclosure, this conversation doesn't happen as often as it used to.

            My family started recycling when I was in grade school. There was a recycling center in town where we took cans, glass bottles and newspapers. I remember taking the labels off metal cans and glass bottles, then I would put shoes on and smash the cans flat. My dad would take them to the recycling center.

        Reusing and repurposing things were done in my home long before before it became fashionable. My dad made the grocery lists on envelopes from bills and letters. He would look through the Sunday coupons and cut out the ones he would use. The coupons he needed would go inside the envelope with the list on it. I didn't realise that part of the reason why we lived this way was because Mom grew up on a farm where very little is wasted. My paternal grandparents were adults during the Depression and also wasted very little.

        C thinks I go a little overboard. Last week, I brought an energy drink with me when we went on a day trip to Pepin. After I finished the drink, I kept the can and brought it home because I couldn't find a recycling bin in any of the places we stopped. When we did a deep cleaning of my bathroom, I found several toothbrushes I had saved in a drawer. I had saved them because a few years back I could mail them in to be recycled. Unfortunately the program ended and I saved them hoping another program would start. Since there is no way to recycle them, I'll have to throw them away. Before I do that I'll use them as small cleaning brushes. At least I won't feel so bad about tossing them. I try to bring bags to use at the grocery store. More often than not, I forget. I save all the empty grocery bags and C brings them to the store to be recycled.

        Whenever I can I try to buy things that are made or partly made from recycled materials. They tend to be a bit more expensive, but to me it makes no sense to recycle things and not use products made with recycled materials.

        Recycling is important to me. When I was young, I saw an ad on TV that featured a Native American man walking on a beach filled with litter. At the end of the commercial, there was a close up of the man's face where a single tear trailed down his face. I didn't want to be one of the people who polluted the land and the water. I also feel a responsibility because I have grandchildren and friends of mine have young children. I want these children to have clean water to drink, clean air to breathe and unpolluted land. As a descendent of farmers, I know that caring for the land and the animals on it means that there will be resources to use in the future. As someone who professes to be a Christian, I believe we have stewardship over the land that we live on. We have been granted care of the land and what is on it for our lifetimes and must be responsible for what we have been given.

        If recycling isn't something you normally do, start small. Recycle cans, paper and glass. You"ll be doing your part to keep our earth clean for us and those that come after.