Upgrading Our Recycling Efforts

Have you noticed the nice, new recycling bins in Fellowship Hall next to the kitchen? One of the first requests that came to the Earth Ministry Committee last year was for help recycling our trash.   While the church has recycled some items for many years, our efforts needed an upgrade.  And our efforts to improve couldn’t have come at a better time.

As you might have heard, there are now many problems with recycling nationwide.  One problem is getting the right trash in the recycling bin and avoiding trash that can’t be recycled.  These nonrecyclables are sometimes called “wishful recycling” because people tend to toss items into a recycling bin without really knowing if they can be recycled. Such materials now account for up to 25 percent of the amount collected nationwide.  This increases the cost of sorting or, in some cases, results in an entire load of material going to the landfill.

The other problem is that China, once the main market for recycled material from the United States, has greatly reduced what it will buy.  In many states this decline has caused severe problems and threatens the viability of the process.  In Georgia we are in better shape because we have markets within our state for glass, plastic, paper, and aluminum.

So, recycling the right way can help to clean the waste stream, keep prices down, and make sure recycling has a strong future.

Here are some do’s and don’ts for proper recycling:

Do place these items in the recycling bins:

• #1 and #2 plastics
• Aluminum and glass
• Paper and paperboard.

Please make sure all food containers are clean.

Don’t attempt to recycle these items:

• food waste
• plastic bags and plastic wrap or film
• styrofoam cups or containers
• diapers
• used pizza boxes
• any plastic or other material you aren’t sure about. (Don’t be a wishful recycler!)
  (Source:  Waste Management “Recycle Often, Recycle Right.”)

Thank you for your efforts to recycle at our church.  The three recycling bins near the kitchen door are labeled to indicate what materials should go in each one.  With your help, we can be an A+ recycler!