America Recycles Day, celebrated last week, offers another way to reduce waste during the holidays. Organized for the past 18 years by Keep America Beautiful, the event this year had a message focused on "recycling right."
A pledge campaign asked participants to not just recycle, but also to find out what materials can and cannot be recycled in their communities — an important step to avoid contamination of recyclables. For example, bottle glass can be recycled in any local curbside recycling program, but if you mix in glass from windows, picture frames, mirrors or ceramics, it can make the resulting mixture undesirable to manufacturers who buy recycled glass.
Thanksgiving is a good time to avoid food waste by sharing with those who do not have as much on their tables. Nonprofit regional food banks normally accept not only canned and shelf-stable food, but this time of year, some also accept food requiring refrigerators or freezers. Most cannot directly accept prepared Thanksgiving food.
In 1621, the pilgrims held the first Thanksgiving, finding ways to sustain their civilization in a challenging environment and helped by neighbors with whom they shared resources. In that spirit of thankfulness and sharing, this month keep your eye on the environment by reducing waste, recycling right and sharing food.
For more information on recycling, contact Fibrex Group.
Ventura Star
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