On Nov. 15, 1997 towns and cities across the U.S.A. started celebrating America Recycles Day. The purpose of the day was to get communities excited about recycling; to educate, motivate and get enthused about what could be done to help our environment every day of the year. Blanco has a great recycling center that is well used by the members of our community but, we all could do better.
Do you UP-CYCLE? Up-cycling is recycling by making something you would be throwing away into something of new and greater purpose. It is a form of repurposing. Create a skirt out of old jeans. Make a wrist band from an old belt (a member of our community makes bracelets from sandals). Throwing away an old headboard? Turn it into a shelf, bench or table (the counters in the Red Bud Café are made from BHS’s ruined gym floor). At the industrial level, all those plastic bottles dropped off at the recycling center are turned into carpets that are totally stain and water resistant.
Do you DOWN-CYCLE? Down-cycling is recycling materials into a lesser quality item. It is another form of repurposing. Old clothes can be turned into rags (this shouldn’t be news to anyone growing up in the country). Computer paper is recycled into lesser quality paper. Other paper products become packing material. Plastics bottles become an ingredient in manufactured building materials and low-grade plastic toys.
Did you know that you can stop receiving catalogs, phonebooks and junk mail? Sign up at Americareyclesday.catalogchoice.org. The site allows you to choose which catalogs you wish to receive and which you want to quit getting. It also lets you choose phonebooks.
Let’s work together to make recycling bigger and better in 2012.
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