Sometimes it takes a crisis to get us moving. Since returning from
Tucson in late March we have intended to begin de-acquisitioning our 40-year
accumulation of stuff, but it took a wet basement to get us started. Thanks to
a five-inch rain, we have made a big dent in our quest to get things out of the
house.
Each morning last week we spent just two hours working in the basement,
sorting out recyclables, trash, and thrift shop donations. Dennis spent far
more time distributing the stuff than we spent sorting. He made two trips to
the thrift shop, and two to the Lawrence recycling center.
I rode along on his second trip, and looked in wonder at the various
categories. Right away I saw a huge block of smashed aluminum cans. It weighs
1,000 pounds and is worth $8,500 at today's price. Aluminum is the most valuable of all recyclable materials.*
Inside the recycling shed I saw surprisingly few plastics. Maybe they
had just been hauled away. I wanted to ask how the plastics can be efficiently
sorted according to their numbers, but no one was around to ask.
The mixed-paper smasher’s warning sign shows just how hazardous
employment in the recycling center can be.
Outside the shed were things too big for the bins.
In the distance was a growing mountain of really big things, including
what appeared to be appliances, wooden furniture, and masses of tree roots. I
didn’t get close enough for a careful inventory.
America’s trash is a crisis in the making. Going to the recycling center
is scary, but if you want a really big scare, visit the local landfill. Maybe
we will pay a visit there soon. Maybe everyone should.
*Americans throw away nearly $1 billion worth of
aluminum cans every year. - See more at: http://www.aluminum.org/industries/production/recycling
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Copyright 2016 by Shirley Domer
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