MARIANA COLEMAN - MY MUSINGS: RECYCLING

Pic Courtesy of L' Garage


Pic courtesy of De Garage

RECYCLING -- A NEW CYCLE

Recycling is really big in our house. When the county replaced the small recycling bins with the new 32 gallon humongous containers, I was ready to jump into mine. The "giant" required a recycled mind -- the mind of a conscientious citizen, who knows his responsibilities and handles them in the name of his surrounding environment, his children's and grandchildren's nature.

So, the following steps occurred. Instead of whining how huge the container is for a 2-people household, my Honda CRV was kicked outside of the garage. I felt no mercy. My husband's car had to squeeze her beautiful body to the right in the twin garage space... There is still enough space for a good driver to get in and out of it. I positioned the recycling bin in between the garages. If there is a winter storm, The Honda will be brought in [somehow] to stay warm. One has to think about all kind of natural disasters. I will not lie -- the space is tight. But consider the mission -- recycling.

This new container brought back memories from many years ago. When I left Europe in the '90s, recycling did not exist. There were big trash containers, which collected the trash on an unknown to me schedule. As one can imagine, opening the lid and throwing the trash was not a type of house work any family member will aspire to do. We had a small bucket with a lid. My daughter was a little helper, a real "house bee." She did not fear to empty the trash. The aroma did not scare her. She will walk 3 floors down and do the work. She and I were interchangeably involved in this.

One day, she did not come back as fast as usual. I went downstairs to look for her. What I found is hard to forget: half of her body was in the trash -- with one hand she was trying to get the bucket out, while the other hand was used to keep the lid from falling on top of her. She was not screaming, I was screaming. After I got her out of the trash place, I decided to finish what she started. I had to get the 'golden bucket' out.

I was successful, but the two of us looked literally like trash. We showered fast. Until today, this story is ingrained in my mind.

One would think I have learned a lesson. Evidently, this did not happen. I saw the size of the new container and wondered how I would keep it clean (I am a cleaning freak.) Uhh... After the first recycling pick up, I tilted the big boy and nearly crawled in. It did not take much. I am 5'2". After its condition became pristine, it entered the garage.

Let's get serious on the subject of recycling. With this big container, my insatiable, compulsive desire to recycle multiplied. It is like with the bigger portion of food -- you eat more when you have more on the plate. With the bigger recycling container -- I recycle more. Respectively, I see less bags in the trash containers.

I do my share in keeping nature clean, one piece of paper at a time.

I live in a community where a curbside on-stream recycling is in effect. Paper, glass, cans, and plastic -- all goes in one container and travels to the recycling centers. It is easy, convenient, simple, fast, economically efficient, and, most importantly, it is all about sustainability of nature.

The schools do their share, too. Students, parents, grandparents -- everyone is involved. There are competitions, educational programs, big Earth Day celebrations.

This is what the recycling container does for me: my route from the kitchen to the recycling container in the garage is 80 steps both ways. The minute I generate an item for recycling, I deposit it where it should be -- in the recycling container. I do it at least 20 times a day. I can march, run, walk like a model, like a ballerina, like a bunny, with huge steps, baby steps, and old lady's steps. All of it does wonders for my aching bones. Sometimes, Tigerboy, my cat, will run with me. It is good for his handsome long body, too.

Recycling is a game for both of us. If I have grandchildren, I will teach them to do the same. They will be running with cereal boxes, pieces of junk mail, milk containers, paper cups, juice containers... The glass and metal will require walking, not running. Please, don't make me responsible if someone falls.

Reducing what needs to go in the container [in the first place] is a matter of healthy living. I do not eat use plastic bottles, plastic plates, the newspapers go to a responsible grandpa in the neighborhood. He helps with his grandkids school recycling.

I am left mostly with cans, produce packaging, some paper and beer bottles. I do my best to recycle and I feel it. I am saving trees, energy, creating jobs, building a new economy of recycled products, keeping the air and water cleaner, wildlife happier.

I AM A PART OF NATURE.

What I hate with a passion are the phone books and the gift wrapping paper. How many times have you looked in a phone book for your buddy Joe's phone number, or a plumber??? Why do we have to wrap the presents for any occasion until they choke to death? There are several layers of thin paper inside the gift bag, and then, there is the gift bag. My daughter and I are in the habit of regifting the bags to each other, or just plainly exchanging presents without any bags.

I want to know what Santa brought me right away. Forget the bag! It is a waste of time. I want to know right away what I got. I am not a child.

The 'cake' goes to the ones who throw water bottles and other trash on the hiking trails. Here they are -- all looking beautiful on a several thousand dollars bike, with hundreds of dollars spent for proper shoes, jackets, total outfits, technology to measure speed, distance, pulse, incline level, calories, etc. Oh, I forgot the hundred dollar designer sun glasses.

I ask myself do you need a helmet if it covers no brain?

According to DoSomething.org, organization for young people and social change, "Americans throw away 25,000,000 plastic bottles every hour." There are 10 more reasons listed to make you think about recycling seriously and explore different campaigns for social change.

RECYCLE, PEOPLE -- START A NEW CYCLE!!!!