Why current recycling programs don't work very efficiently.

I believe there are several reasons that our current system of composting, recycling, and garbage disposal is not efficient or helpful to either the environment or the consumers. The serious lack of information and the lack of disposal bins are, in my opinion, the first major concern that we need to deal with in this area.  I live in Central California. I notice that at even in this most progressive of climates, that in most of the places I eat or shop, there often is no recycle bin and almost never is there a compost bin.

Consumers are forced to throw plastic and paper products that could easily be recycled and reused into the trash which ends up in the landfill or ocean. Even in the case where are there are a majority of items that may be able to be reused or recycled, very rarely do we find a recycling bin nearby to the trash can.  It makes it very inconvenient for people to have to carry around these trash items either in their car or on their person until they find a recycling bin to throw them in. So it doesn't happen. So first off we need to make sure there are going to be the proper disposal bins available in the restaurants and businesses that we frequent and on the streets and public areas that we traverse.

Secondly, education is seriously lacking in these areas. How do we know what we should recycle or compost versus throw in the trash can? Often times it's very confusing. Items like food containers or pizza boxes that still have food remnants on them are not usually suitable for the recycle bin. So they are tossed in the trash. They also are not suitable for the compost bin because the products they are made of are either plastic or non-compostable in some way.

The solution to this has several angles.  First, as mentioned in my last blog, we really need to work harder to educate everybody.  We should tell the owners and employees of the businesses and restaurants that we patronize that we care to ask what products are made from and where they're sourced and that if they don't begin to change the way they cook their food and package their food we are not coming back in favor of restaurants and businesses who do things in a more socially responsible way.

Secondly we need them to begin using 100% compostable products for their to-go orders. By using these types of products all trash whether it has food on it, or not, can go in either the recycling bin or the compost bin or the trash pile and it will dissolve back into the soil. While seemingly much more expensive,  (usually they're a bit more expensive), the prices for these items are close enough for businesses to make this change without hurting their bottom line too much. (It is a proven statistic that customers will come back more often to restaurants who act in a socially responsible way and promote it.)  If businesses combine the correct products with other certain practices that will help reduce waste as well, this is a winning combination for everyone. 

For instance, asking people if they would like a straw. I am often eating out and if I forget to tell the server or the bartender that I don't want a straw, I will typically end up with at least three or four straws in the course of a meal that I don't use. They put them in the water each time I asked for it and I don't want it. They put it in my drink of whatever I ordered each time I asked for it, and I don't want it. 

Now here's a statistic that will blow your mind. There are over 500 million disposable straws used every day in the United States alone,  and most of those wind up in the landfill or the ocean because they're not compostable!

Hundreds of other items like mini detergent balls found in many detergent products wind up in the ocean and are then eaten by fish, which are then eaten by bigger fish which are then eaten by humans. Not only are we polluting the oceans with trash and chemicals, but we're also polluting ourselves and our food supply.

So the next time you go to buy something, whether it's food or some products our families use in their daily lives, maybe we can start asking where these products came from,  how they were manufactured,  and what chemicals or items are used in their manufacture and are in the products themselves.

We can ask how are they packaged? Is it overkill or is it done responsibly? By starting to ask these types of questions we make it known that we care and that it's OK to ask.  This will help our Earth and help us to lead healthier and happier lives for ourselves and our children. We must begin to reverse the damage we have done to the Earth and curtail our waste and use of non eco-friendly products.

3 Green Things, the title of this blog, refers to each of us trying to pick 3 things to start with to be more sustainable in our daily lives. The reason I chose 3 things is because there are so many products we currently use and habits that we can change and adjust, that one didn't seem enough. I believe that if we just choose certain things to start thinking more responsibly about, like recycling number one, or our water usage number two, or the products that we use and the trash that we create number 3, that would be an excellent start for all of us to be able to contribute in the way we all should towards a better world for everyone.

So the next time you go out, ask yourself, do you really need that straw?

In conclusion, placing the burden of trash separation on the consumer is unfair and implausible.  It just doesn't work well. We all need to do our part as business owners and consumers, to really affect a change.

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Howard can be reached at uradioshow@yahoo.com and at www.gitng.com