Recycling is Grand

Whenever I load up the car with buckets full of tin and tubs of paper scraps then drive the three blocks to the recycling depot at Safeway, I smile. I smile some more when I see others pull up and start to unload their sundry items that just a few short years ago ended up in the landfill.

Our recycling efforts have been dialed up a notch after the implementation of the bag bylaw at the beginning of September. Now, we have to think once, twice, three times before jumping in the vehicle to go and buy groceries or other things. Heather and I have been preparing for this for a long time and seem to have eased into this plastic bag-less environment relatively unscathed. There are others, whose experiences have not been so easy.

One of my Tweeters has pledged to drive to Edmonton for his groceries in protest of this imposed lifestyle change. He says that 40-minute long line-ups are a direct result of the bylaw. He also bought a reusable bag that broke on first use. Ouch! Frustration speaks in words that may not make any logical sense, but on an emotional level resonate beautifully. Our Chamber President aptly pointed out that this person (who shall remain nameless) is punishing local businesses for something that was and is completely beyond their control. This same person is punishing themselves, too, by taking 9 hours out of their life to drive to the city and in so doing putting a lot of miles of wear and tear on their vehicle, all because they prefer the convenience of plastic. Strange choice in my mind.

All things being equal, we've come a long way in a short time. Just ten years ago almost everything went to the landfill: newspapers, flyers, milk jugs, tins, empty jars. It hurts my soul to think we once lived that way. While it may take awhile to get used to it, cutting out our addiction to plastic bags is another great step in the right direction.