We Recycle,

Yes we do, we recycle, how about you?

This is the chant that Cole and I often sing when we team up to walk our recycling to our apartment's deposit place. Though it is a pox upon the landscape of our porch, we always feel a sense of self-righteousness when we empty our collected recyclable waste. We continue our efforts, despite often questioning the validity of the local program because we don't have to separate anything! Paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, aluminum, etc...it all goes into a single place! We often comment...either this isn't being recycled at all or our recycling, along with everyone else's, is creating many a job! This weekend, however, some of our questions were answered with a mailed pamphlet from Charleston County on what is now called "Single Stream Residential Recycling Pilot Program." The name explains it all, and verified that yes, even though we are all dumping various kinds of items together in common recycling containers, our contributions are being recycled. The program is relatively new in the U. S. and Charleston, and is only active in a few parts of our county so far, but is expanding. In fact, recycling participation rates in the new single-stream recycling areas rose from 35% to 70%. Glad to know we are saving the earth, one milk carton at a time!!