Speak for the Trees: Adventures in Recycling

While sitting at my desk trying to think of a topic to tackle this week I realized an important issue was enveloping me. I was surrounded by newspapers, grocery bags, pop cans, plastic bottles and glass bottles - 40 pop cans, 12 plastic bottles and 8 glass bottles, to be exact.

Without knowing exactly where to take these items for recycling, they continued to build up around me throughout the entire school year. I realized at that moment that others on this campus were quite possibly having the same problem. I saw bags full of recyclable materials in lounges that had been there for months. Not to mention recyclables have been piling up in garbage cans and dumpsters all around campus.

I decided that it was finally time to find a place where all of this rubbish could go. I first found that on our own campus Students Concerned About Tomorrow's Environment (SCATE) has placed a receptacle for paper and aluminum cans in almost every academic building on campus. Some of the dorms have marked tubs for recyclables as well. (For all locations, visit the SCATE web site listed under student organizations.)

While BVU has worked well with SCATE to provide recycling receptacles for the campus community, there is still room for improvement. Until 100 percent recycling efficiency is met, there will always be room for improvement. This can be achieved through placing more visible receptacles in each and every building, including dorms. But most importantly, it takes a concerned population to achieve this goal. We all must recognize the importance of recycling and put in the necessary efforts.

If you have accumulated too much recycling or have items that SCATE does not have bins for, as I have, there are places in town to take recycling as well. There are currently two registered redemption centers here in Storm Lake: Genesis Development at 1607 N. Lake Avenue, and the Harold Rowley Recycle Center past Lakeside at 1247 630th Street. There are always the recycling machines at Wal-Mart too, if you do not mind recycling items one at a time. Again it takes a small amount of effort to recycle at these places, but it is well worth it.

According to Weyerhaeuser, recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees, 6,953 gallons of water, 463 gallons of oil, 587 pounds of air pollution, 3.06 cubic yards of landfill space and 4,077 Kilowatt hours of energy. We save much more than we may realize by recycling.

The items we recycle become much more than we realize as well. Recycled plastic can be made into polyester clothing, flower pots, insulation for sleeping bags, ski jackets, car bumpers and much more. We also have to be sure to purchase products made from recycled material to ensure that the recycling process is completed.

Part of the reason we do not recycle as much as we should is because it is not convenient enough yet. Many of us, myself included, want to see immediate results for our efforts. A nickel is hardly enough incentive. But what is enough incentive? How about a future in which we have enough resources to survive?