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Nov. 15 is America Recycles Day
Recycling and sustainability initiatives are vital to the future of the nation, suggests the Recyclops company, and the business wants to remind the community that Nov. 15 marks the 25th Anniversary of “America Recycles Day,” a national initiative to raise awareness and educate the public of the benefits of recycling.
The nationwide campaign has its roots right here in Texas, reports the Recyclops company. In 1994, two employees of the Texas Commission on Environment Quality (TCEQ) began a six-week campaign to boost recycling throughout Texas and provide information to the public on local programs. From their efforts, the initiative grew nationwide to encompass 40 states by 1997; followed by President Bill Clinton signing a proclamation to make Nov. 15 America Recycles Day (aka National Recycling Day).
Since that time, communities all over the nation have embraced the principles of recycling: reduce, reuse, recycle. The advantages of these efforts are difficult to quantify, as data for recycling varies by state, but the benefits are self-evident. Reducing the amount of waste that goes into landfills is a win-win for residents, municipalities and, of course, the environment.
Landfills are by their nature a scarce resource, and as the old saying goes, “Land, they aren’t making any more of it.” The process to commission a new landfill site or to expand an existing one can take up to a decade to get approval from local and state authorities, and years to acquire the land and construct. By diverting recyclable materials away from landfills, those timelines to expand can be extended, not to mention the benefits of recapturing reusable raw materials. With only five active municipal landfills in Southeast Texas, the need to conserve space has never been greater.
What can you do to help?
Recycling is in essence a perfect example of many small personal decisions adding up to make a big impact. Americans throw away thousands of items a year into the trash, and each of those items represents thousands of individual decisions. When people decide to recycle that cereal box, soda can or water bottle, they can take pride in knowing that they have contributed to their community and the environment as a whole. That seemingly small choice not only adds to one’s sense of self, but it also serves as a positive example to the people in one’s life – not through words or rhetoric, but with actions.
There are many things local residents can do to reduce waste and spread the word. Start small. Look at the things thrown away from your household every day and make a commitment to set aside bottles, cans and cardboard. Teach children the different types of recyclables and drive them by a landfill, to get a view (and smell) of what happens to trash once it leaves the house. Start a recycling campaign at your work, community organization, or church. Simply making people aware of a solution could prompt them to act.
Recyclops
Recyclops is a Utah-based technology startup that focuses on environmental sustainability by making it “easier, convenient and accessible to recycling” with at-home curbside pickup. Recylops brings recycling to areas that don’t have city pickup, by connecting customers with pickup-drivers in an “Uber-styled” app. Launched in Utah in 2014, the company has quickly grown to cover 30 different states and growing, and continues to attract the attention of major corporate investors, including the GLAD Corporation, Lerer Hippeau, and the Larry H Miller Company. In 2021, they enabled families to recycle over 6 million pounds of waste, diverting it from landfills, and giving customers a sense of pride by “doing their part” to reduce the strain on their local landfills.
At-home, curbside pickup costs as little as $12 per month, serving all of Jefferson, Orange and Hardin counties. Contact Brandon Hammock: sales@409recycle.com . Search Facebook and Instagram: @409recycle.
Free recycling opportunities are available on the Lamar University (LU) campus. The LU Green Squad student volunteer group hosts a FREE monthly drop-off at the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Facility for the Greater Beaumont area. Dates vary. Follow LU Green Squad on Facebook and Instagram for details.