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We can do better
I'll admit that I was one of the lazy Lenoir residents who stopped recycling when the city discontinued curbside pick-up in 2005. Now that I've started again and realize the difference it makes, I'm ashamed that I failed to continue participation during the last two years. Since Lenoir opened its recycling center last year, I've seen a significant drop-off in the amount of trash I'm sending to the landfill. Prior to my family resuming its recycling habit, I was carrying two cans to curb each week. Now it's down to one. I'm no mathematician, but I do know that over the course of a year I'm putting at least 51 fewer cans full of garbage into the landfill. While that's certainly not enough to lengthen the life of our landfill or save the environment, it could have that effect if more people did the same. While attending a Hudson Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday night, I learned that the town is concerned about a marked drop-off in participation in its recycling program. Based on the statistics provided, the town's curbside recycling participation hit a 10-year low of 53 percent in December. Hudson participation peaked at 85 percent in October 2000. Having had recycling on my mind for several weeks now, based on my own experience and now hearing about Hudson's diminished participation, I called around to see if other communities are facing the same problem. Not to sound preachy, but the results are shocking and sad. It's shocking because nearly all municipalities (excluding Lenoir) in Caldwell County offer a curbside recycling program, and the county has convenience sites throughout the community for those who live outside town limits. So there's no excuse not to recycle. It's sad because there is so much unnecessary trash being thrown into the landfill that could be processed into reusable material. Here's what I learned: € Starting with the most shocking of all, the county's largest municipality appears to be the worst at recycling. My numbers do not take into account those residents who take their recycling to one of the county's convenience sites, but the number of cars that came through the town's new recycling center on Pennton Avenue last Saturday was only 181. In a city of more than 12,000 residents, only 181 bothered to take the 10 to 20 minutes that it takes to cart a recycling bin down to the drop-off site. Though public works officials are seeing the number increase each week and have recently expanded the program to include Wednesdays, the number is still sadly too low. € The Town of Granite Falls once boasted recycling participation rates in the high 80s, but has dropped off by as much as 20 percent in the last few years. Town Manager Linda Story is still waiting to see the numbers for 2007, but in 2006 participation averaged 68 percent. That was a new low for the program, she said. € Cajah's Mountain also once enjoyed more than 80 percent participation by its residents. For the month of December, the number was 59.5 percent. Participation has dropped off dramatically in recent years, Town Manager Connie South said. € The Town of Sawmills' recycling participation rate fluctuates from approximately 40 percent to 55 percent, Town Manager Bob Frye said. € Though Gamewell residents kept 8 tons of waste out of the landfill in November, thanks to the town's recycling program, only about 38 percent of its residents were responsible. If 80 percent had participated, that would be 16 tons. The point is that a little effort by everyone can make a huge difference. The means to do so are made available, and we're all paying taxes to provide the service. Let's use it. Anything less than 100 percent participation is a disappointment. For more information on your community's recycling program, call your town's office or contact the county office for details on convenience site recycling opportunities. Edward Terry Editor eterry@newstopic.net
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