Launch a recycling program at your work, home

Ready to recycle at work or home but don’t know how to start? No worries!

Begin by identifying common items at your home or office that could be diverted from the waste stream. These include cardboard, paper, plastic soda/water bottles, aluminum cans, ink and toner cartridges. Next, identify bins or storage containers for your recyclables, such as cardboard boxes or unused trash containers. Place storage containers in ‘hot spots’ or areas of large volume of recyclable waste are generated such as near copiers, fax machines, desks, etc. At home, place recycle bins next to waste/trash containers, usually in the kitchen or other high traffic areas.

Establish some guidelines, reminders and collection routines. Be familiar recycling the “do’s and don’ts.” To maximize your recycling effort, pass on these recycling tips to coworkers or family members. They probably don’t know how to recycle. As a starter, you may want to focus recycling only plastic and paper until you get the hang of it. Regardless of what you choose to recycle, label all bins. They also serve as a reminder. Develop a routine, like the first or last Friday of the month for recyclable transfer, that way others can be involved in the process as well.

Provide encouragements throughout the month. Simple funny reminders on previously used paper or post-it notes work well. Include a recycling message as part of your email signature. If you have a bulletin board at the office or home, place a colorful, flashy recycling reminder notice. If you can, post previous recycling results as well.

Recent events, such as the Christmas Tree Decorating Contest and the CNMI Recycles Day Contest, demonstrate a willingness to recycle. The reasons why we should continue recycling practices are plentiful. Waste reduction is one reason. The average person in the CNMI produces approximately 4 pounds of garbage everyday. This garbage goes to our landfill where it’s compacted and buried. The more trash that goes to the landfill and our waste stream continues to go, the more pressure on our landfill, our resources and our environment.

Another reason is ensuring a cleaner, safer, and healthier environment for our children and grandchildren. By recycling aluminum, glass, plastics and other materials, we can save production and energy costs, and reduce the negative impact that removing or processing of brand new materials.

It all comes back to you! Recycling materials can be useful too. The garbage that students used to decorate their Christmas trees for the contest that have become trash; instead, with a little bit of time and creativity, the students produced sparkling, innovative ornaments.

Division of Environmental Quality and DPW’s Solid Waste Management Division can provide assistance for recycling initiatives. Contact Tina Sablan, DEQ, at 664-8500 and Steve Hiney, DPW, at 322-2745 for more information. [B][I](PR)[/I][/B]