By Reina Hasting
UAF Cooperative Extension Service
This year, the official America Recycles Day fell on Nov. 15, but let’s think of recycling every day.
I recently visited our local recycling facility and the Fairbanks landfill, which has grown to 252 acres. It changed my perspective on things. Everything I look at now makes me think, “That’s probably one more thing to be piled on the landfill to be buried.”
I consider myself someone who is aware of the importance of recycling. However, seeing what happens with our wasted materials upfront and close was still impactful. I encourage folks to visit a local landfill if the opportunity arises. Make it a bonding activity with family, friends or coworkers. You might be surprised how it influences your perspective.
Since the visit, we have been trying to incorporate recycling into our household, but it has not been easy. If you are just starting to recycle or have a hard time keeping up with recycling, don’t stop.
Every effort helps reduce landfill waste. Keep in mind that it takes time to change behavior, so give yourself and everyone else some grace.
For me, this shift in perspective started in April. I was lucky to take a group of teens to the first Ignite by 4-H Summit in Washington, D.C. It is an event where teens from around the country get together for an opportunity to discover exciting career paths, make connections, and create an action plan to ignite change in their community.
The Alaska 4-H teens took on a Lead to Change Project for their community. They focused on bringing awareness to the importance of recycling in Fairbanks, Alaska. They created a reel to share through social media channels on America Recycles Day to educate and empower their peers and the public to recycle more. It incorporates our visit to the recycling facility and landfill. You can view it on the UAF Cooperative Extension Instagram (www.instagram.com/uafextension) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/AlaskaExtension). Feel free to share it in support of the cause.
According to the U.S. Environment Protection Agency, 42% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are associated with the energy used to produce, process, transport, and dispose of our goods and foods. Making some changes in our daily routine can help lower this statistic.
With the holidays coming up, many of us will be shopping. Parties and gift-giving can create more waste. Below are some of EPA’s tips for the holidays.
When giving gifts
• Think green before you shop. Bring a reusable cloth bag to carry your purchases, and try to buy items with minimal packaging and/or made with recycled content.
• Wrap gifts in recycled or reused wrapping paper. Remember to save or recycle your used wrapping paper. Give gifts that don’t require much packaging, such as concert tickets or gift certificates.
• Send recycled-content greeting cards and remember to recycle any paper cards you receive. You can also send electronic greeting cards to reduce paper waste.
• Bake cookies or other goodies and package them in reusable and/or recyclable containers as gifts. Homemade goodies show how much you care and help you avoid extra packaging.
• When giving flowers as a gift, consider buying long-lasting silk flowers, potted plants, or live bushes, shrubs or trees that can be planted in the spring.
Green parties
• If you host a party, set the table with cloth napkins and reusable dishes, glasses and silverware. Save and reuse party hats, decorations and favors.
• Be sure your guests know where to dispose of and recycle their waste at your party properly.
• After the holidays, put leftovers in recyclable containers and share them with family, friends or others. Donate untouched leftovers from parties to a local food bank or homeless shelter.
• After parties, fill your dishwasher completely before running it. You will run fewer cycles, which saves energy.
If you’ve never really recycled before, I hope can consider taking on one or more of the tips above. Doing so will help conserve natural resources such as forests and oceans.
Whether you decide to add some of these changes to your daily routine, I truly hope you enjoy the holidays with your loved ones.
Reina Hasting is a coordinator with Extension’s Family Nutrition Program, administered by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service in cooperation with the U.S.D.A. Contact her at rhhasting@alaska.edu or 907-474-2437.
