Did you know April 22nd is Earth Day? Traditionally, people commemorate the day by planting a tree, cleaning up our beaches, or going on nature walks, just to name a few. However, due to COVID-19, outdoor events have been cancelled, but you can still find a Digital Earth Day event online.
The stay-at-home order has created an economic and financial burden on all of us. Let’s hope we’ve “flattened the curve” so our lives can return to some normalcy once again. If there is anything else positive that will arise from this ordeal is that the Earth will have had a chance to heal. All over the world, the air is less polluted, rivers are clearer, and marine life is recovering. Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970. What an unexpected and auspicious 50th anniversary gift to Mother Earth.
We can help the environment year-round by using our car less, conserving water, installing energy-efficient light bulbs, and participating in our recycling program. In the lower-level parking garage, there are four green bins for residents to deposit their recyclables. Here is what we can and cannot place in each bin:
PLASTIC – NO CAPS: Look for the #1 or #2 in a triangle embossed on containers. Rinse, remove and discard lids and tops. No food containers.
ALUMINUM & CANS: Rinse aluminum cans. If possible, crush cans to make more room in the bin. Do not include scrap metal.
GLASS – NO CAPS: Includes containers for beverages, wine, spirits, and food. Rinse, remove and discard lids and tops. Do not include dishes and drinking glasses.
For the above recyclables, it’s okay to mix and match if one bin is full.
NEWSPAPER – NO CARDBOARD: This bin is only for newspaper, paper bags, and white office paper. No hardcover/paperback books, phone books, cardboard boxes, magazines, glossy inserts, envelopes, tape, sticky labels, and rubber bands. Staples are okay.
Do not mix the other recyclables in the newspaper bin.
Please only fill the bin with loose items that have been rinsed and dried. If you carry down your recyclables in a plastic trash bag, do not throw the plastic trash bag itself into the bin. Rather, empty the contents into the bin and then reuse the plastic bag. You can also save paper bags to carry down your recyclables, then after emptying its contents, toss the paper bag into the newspaper bin.
Carts are emptied the first Thursday of every month. Therefore, the best time to empty your recyclables is the weekend that follows it. If you find all the bins are full, hold on to your recyclables or take them to the nearest recycling center.
So, this weekend, buy yourself a recycling basket to store your cans and bottles. Then, print the following documents and tape it to the basket to educate everyone in your household how to recycle.
PLASTIC RECYCLING INFO
TOTER RECYCLING GUIDELINES
Do it for Mother Earth and future generations will thank us!