Go, catch the recycling fever!

America Recycles Day, or ARD, is almost upon us! Last year, residents in every state of the nation, including the CNMI, participated in ARD and pledged to recycle. The mission of ARD is to raise awareness on how to promote the social, environmental, and economic benefits of recycling and buying recycled products. The annual event was officially launched in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 15, 2004 with a Presidential Proclamation and official declaration of the day.

To kick things off here in the CNMI, the Department of Public Works’ Division of Solid Waste Management has already announced this week the 2nd Annual Islandwide School Recycling Contest. Kindergartners to 12th grade students and their families can join for a chance to earn money for their schools. The competition started on Sept. 1 and will run through Nov. 8. Participants can bring their collected paper products and cardboard, glass, aluminum, metals and plastics to the Lower Base Transfer Station to get weighed. The top winners can win up to $500. During the contest DPW, will even increase the refund you get for aluminum cans from 25 cents to 30 cents per pound as an incentive for the community to participate and support their chosen schools. To sign your school up and for more information, contact 322-2745.

So the word is out! Recycling is good because, “It all comes back to you.” It is especially important to our island community where our resources are limited. The CNMI really cannot afford to keep filling up our landfills with trash. In the CNMI, a person generates about 4.2 lbs of waste per day. Resources worldwide are limited as well, so buying recycled products help us save production and energy costs, and reduce the negative impacts that the taking out and processing of virgin materials has on the environment. We must remember that BUYING recycled products is part of the recycling loop.

Here are some more reasons why recycling is good:

* It saves clean air;

* It saves clean water;

* It saves money; and

* It creates jobs.

So how good is the CNMI in terms of recycling? I do not have any numbers to tell you straight out how many households do take their time to separate their trash and recycle. During last year’s ARD celebration, Environmental Protection Agency Pacific Islands Office manager John McCarroll said that the CNMI is the leader among the other Pacific islands in recycling and solid waste management. It was also mentioned that about 30 percent of CNMI’s waste is being recycled. That is great news and that is a good percentage! But there is always room for improvement, right?

Take a look at your own household. Do you and your family members separate trash for recycling? It is good to see families collecting aluminum cans in their household because of the money they could generate from the refund. But what about other recyclables, like paper products and cardboard, glass, aluminum, metals and plastics? We could definitely do more, right? Our islands and our community could definitely benefit from recycling if all of us do it.

So let’s recyle at home. Tell your friends and family. Let’s recycle at work. Sign your school up to join the recycling contest! Catch the recycling fever, and help protect our resources!

CoCo