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Environment stewardship an individual choice |
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Wednesday, 07 May 2008 |
As it stands, Canadians are certainly not forced to recycle but then again, charging a deposit fee for our recyclables is a incentive no matter how small.
For the average Albertan, the nickel on the dollar spent for a bottle of pop or water or other beverage is not an overwhelming incentive to get everyone to return their recyclables but it does act as a reminder for some and a true incentive for those who do not want the government to have even a nickel more than they should.
Unfortunately, the same monetary incentive does not exist for plastics, glass or cardboard. Locally, a good number of residents do take advantage of the green trailers that find their way in and out of communities in the Taber area.
Additionally, the local recycling centre continues to expand its focus, from e-waste products to now taking in hazardous paint materials.
With the wide variety of items available to be recycled, there seems to be a wide variety of recycling types. There are those who recycle everything and anything that can be recycled.
These are also the types of people who think ahead to find ways to reduce even before they consider recycling. They buy in bulk and refill items to reduce the amount of waste they generate. They also bring reusable shopping bags to the grocery store and try wherever possible to reduce, recycle and reuse.
On the opposite end of the scale, are those who not only do not follow the three Rs but are among those who dump their trash out their car window to scatter on the highway, in the ditches or even on town streets.
Not only is this rude but it is immature and ignorant. That garbage does not just vanish, it ends up trapped in fences and yards and collecting in bushes and long grass. Hats off to the local 4-H clubs who conduct their highway clean up each spring.
However, they are not the solution to littering.
Somewhere in between are the majority of people who do make an effort to tackle the three Rs. Whether a person believes all of the global warming warnings or not, recycling, reducing and reusing just makes good sense. The less stuff that finds its way to the landfill, the better.
It certainly can not hurt to reduce the amount of garbage that ends up in the system. Everyone can do their part to cut back on the amount of waste that is generated.
It will help prevent costs from raising and it is a means for everyone to do their part, whether on a large or small scale. As with each new generation, lessons are learned and students in our school systems now will be the leaders of the future.
They are learning the importance of looking after our environment. Let us hope we leave the world in good enough shape that the next generation will have something worth protecting. |
