Recycling 101: Saving the Planet, Ferndale and Money

Everyone has their own personal reason as to why they recycle, but not many people have a reason why they don’t.

I choose to recycle to ease a burden off the environment and to reduce the contents of our landfills. But there are reasons besides helping the planet that people may not be aware of.

Recycling not only benefits the planet, it also benefits the local community. It helps create jobs and saves tens of thousands of dollars for the city. For every ton of garbage hauled away from Ferndale, a $26 charge is added to the city’s waste disposal bill by SOCRRA. For every ton of recycling picked up a rebate of $37.50 is applied to that bill.

Last year over 14,000 tons of waste was removed from Ferndale’s curbs and dumpsters. Only about 8.6 percent of that was in recycling tons. If we could work together as a community to raise this rate, we have the potential to save ourselves some meaningful dollars and in turn help secure our public services.

The Ferndale Environmental Sustainability Commission is hosting an event today at the at 6:30 p.m. to help get a recycling beginner started.

At this “Recycling 101” seminar, the and a representative from SOCRRA will provide information on how recycling benefits our economy and environment. They will also have basic information on what is recyclable and what’s not. You might be surprised at what you can put in those bins other than a soup can and empty water bottles. Things like old toasters, cardboard milk and juice cartons, junk mail and aluminum foil can be recycled, too. Since you have to take this stuff to the curb anyway, it’s just as simple to throw it into the bin rather than the garbage can.

During the hours of the event, the DPW will also accept orders for recycling bins at half the normal price and are offering free home recycling bin delivery. This is great not only for the savings on the bin, but also for those of us who work during the hours that the DPW is open. This gives everyone a chance to everything they need from one place. You can purchase the bin for only $6 ($12 regularly) and get it delivered to your door and you can get the information on what you can and cannot put in the bins.

So come and learn how you can help the community and the environment by taking a few extra small steps to recycle. Ferndale’s recycling rate is very low compared to the surrounding communities that have curbside recycling pick up available. I think this is something the residents of Ferndale can easily overcome with a little help from the city. Please take advantage of this public service and show how much Ferndale residents care about our city and our planet.