“Why should I pay the same as someone else who throws away twice as much?” ~Ellis Burruss, Frederick County Solid Waste Advisory Council
How do you feel about the concept of paying for what you throw away? That means that the more you buy, consume, and discard, the more you pay for the garbage you throw away. Ellis Burruss of Frederick County, MD doesn’t believe he should have to pay for trash service because he recycles just about everything.
The idea is waste less and pay less, or in Mr. Burruss’ case, pay nothing. If you have more “re-usables,” then you’ll also have less to throw away. If you shop less, then you also have less to throw out (and theoretically, you’re likely to be living a more simple life). Less garbage = smaller landfills = good for the environment = everybody’s happy…right?
Hit people where it hurts the most – their pocket – and they’ll do almost anything, yes? What do you think? Is this the right course of action? Leave a comment with your thoughts and take the poll below.
Would you recycle more if you what you paid for trash pick up was based on the volume of your trash?
Loading ...
“In 2007, paper and paperboard products accounted for about 83 million tons (or 33 percent) of all materials in the municipal waste stream. In that same year, we recycled more than half (55 percent or 45 million tons) of all the paper that Americans used.”
[U.S. Environmental Protection Agency • www.epa.gov]
Related Articles by Zemanta
- You: The Top 7 Ways to Conserve Money, Energy (via ABC News: ABCNews) (abcnews.go.com)
- Earth Day 2009 in DC: Stuff You Can Do (dallisonlee.com)
- Middle Atlantic States Threatened By Sea Level Rise (huffingtonpost.com)
Recycling is back! America Recycles Day (ARD) is a national event on November 15th that promotes recycling, source reduction, and buying products made from recycled materials as objectives to a more sustainable society.
This is your chance to get involved with local events occurring in the DC Metro Area. Afterall, “It All Comes Back to You,” and you just might win a prize, too!
**Montgomery County**
Multiple activities and exhibits including, Grasscycling and Backyard Composting, Waste Reduction Techniques, Unique Materials to Recycle in Montgomery County, Compost Bin Distribution and Leafgro Promotion, and Special appearances throughout the day by Rocco, the Recycling Retriever!
Paper Shredding
Montgomery County Residents Only
When: 9am-12pm (Cars must be in line by 12 pm)
Where: 2 Locations – See Below
Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center (map)
3300 Briggs Chaney Road, Silver Spring, Maryland 20904
Upcounty Regional Services Center (map)
12900 Middlebrook Road, Germantown, MD 20874
What:
- Limited to 3 paper grocery bags of paper or 1 office-paper-sized box from your household
- All types of paper such as financial and legal documents, receipts, and tax and medical records will be accepted for shredding
- Paper with staples or paper clips is acceptable
- Envelopes with plastic windows are acceptable
- No plastic or electronic items such as credit cards, CDs, or computer disks
Clothing and Household Goods
Montgomery County Residents Only
When: 9am-12pm
Where: 2 Locations – See Below
Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center (map)
3300 Briggs Chaney Road, Silver Spring, Maryland 20904
Upcounty Regional Services Center (map)
12900 Middlebrook Road, Germantown, MD 20874
What:
- Only quality items that are in working/usable condition
- Please bring clothing and small loose items in bags or boxes
- Clean clothing, shoes, accessories, and bed and bath items
- Miscellaneous household goods such as dining ware, pots and pans, glassware, picture frames, stuffed animals, games, power tools, small electronics, and garden tools
- Books, CDs, DVDs, etc.
- Furniture and other items such as tables, chairs, lamps, and exercise/sporting equipment
- Do not bring large heavy furniture items such as sofas or loveseats, mattresses, large appliances, automobile parts, construction materials, televisions, computer monitors, or food
*Tax-deduction receipts will be available upon request
Household Hazardous Waste Collection
Montgomery County Residents Only
When: 10am-2pm
Where: Westland Middle School (map)
5511 Massachusetts Ave Bethesda MD 20816 (west of Little Falls Parkway)
*Click here for household hazardous waste collection event details
**Prince George’s County**
Document Shredding and Used Clothing Recycling
When: 8am-1pm
Where: Buck Lodge Middle School (map)
2611 Buck Lodge, Adelphi, MD 20783
What:
- Free shredding of sensitive documents
- Paper will be recycled
- Clothing and shoes will be donated to Planet Aid
Regional Prizes for America Recycles Day
K-12
One entrant (K-12 student) will win a $300 gift certificate at a bicycle shop AND a $500 grant to the K-12 school environmental club or project of the winner’s choice. Prizes provided by Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
Bicycle
One entrant (any age) will win a $300 gift certificate at a bicycle shop provided by Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
See the regional contest rules.
Enter for the prizes by pledging to recycle and to buy recycled products.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_b.png?x-id=e9e83425-03a7-4704-975f-007eab42900a)
