My husband and I began recycling in the mid 1970’s. You would think that by now, recycling would be a common practise everywhere. Nearly fifty years later; however, we seem to have back slided. There were only slightly more than 4 billion people on the planet in 1975. We currently have 7.9 billion – nearly twice as many humans than we had fifty years ago! This means we have at least double the amount of plastics, glass, and cans entering landfills – probably more because the number of bottled sodas, enhanced waters, beer, wine, and other drinks has multiplied dramatically. This is one of the largest contributors to our waste problem. We must not forget about the waste from fast food chains, disposable gloves, needles, and other medical waste, diapers from grownups as well as babies, plastic flower pots, and the millions of appliances and electronic devices that come with only a one year guarantee. We must now add disposable masks to that list, thanks to the pandemic.
There was a time when empty bottles could be returned for a few cents. Some states still offer this incentive, but for the most part, the world has become apathetic, lazy, and unwilling to do anything about this growing problem. A few Scandinavian and European countries have implemented excellent recycling programs, along with deposits offered for returning containers. It seems that the United States has fallen far behind other countries in many of our social norms. I find this more than a little embarrassing. We are supposedly the richest country in the world, but clearly we are not the brightest.
Our growing garbage problem is not going away. It is a problem for other species that often become entangled in the trash or poisoned by it. It winds up in their quickly disappearing habitat. If you have never watched the film, Winged Migration, I highly recommend that you do. I have run up against a wall in this town where I have landed. Their recycling facility, which had been in operation only a few short years, and did not accept glass, closed when COVID19 quarantined most of the world. Now they will only accept cardboard. I am on a mission now, to find a nearby town where I can drop off my recycles. I cannot not compost and I cannot not recycle.
