Superhero Tips from the "Green Girls" - Saving the Planet One Lightbulb at a Time!

I believe it was Mr. Kermit the Frog who said it best, "It's not that easy being green."

And boy was he right!
To recap what I've learned recently, Liz in Germany has this wonderful set up where they come more than 2x a month to pick up each type of recyclable item (paper, plastic, glass, aluminum, etc.). I've also learned that in Washington State if you don't bring your own bags to the stores then you have to pay a fee to use the plastic disposable bags. And here, in beautiful East Tennessee? Well IT'S NOT THAT EASY BEING GREEN!

Here is my van packed full of recyclables to take to the recycling center separated as best as possible... but when I arrived I discovered not quite good enough.

Cardboard, both corrugated and paperboard. The black bags are full of plastic; milk jugs, water bottles, soda bottles, and even plastic cups... are those recyclable?

Magazines and other "glossy" paper in the little box and the white plastic bags are full of aluminum cans. The brown paper bag is full of mixed paper, card stock, office paper, etc. We don't read the newspaper often and when we do it is usually kindling for the campfire.

Here is the mixed paper.

So as I said, here in this relatively large county in East Tennessee recycling is not as easy as it is in other parts of the country. I think the people who live in the city limits MIGHT have recycling pick up, but then again I never see recycling bins at the end of curbs with their trash cans. Maybe they just want us to work for our "stewardship badge."

Maddie and I are determined to make a difference if even in the smallest ways. I can say that in the past month since we've started really recycling our trash can is much less full at the end of the week. Even her daddy is getting into it and that is really helping to make a difference. What can one person do? Well if that person is a parent they can teach the next generation a better way to live; putting less in the Land Fulls, picking up other's litter is also a superhero thing to do (as I got the opportunity to teach Maddie that today when leaving the fishin' dock).


Hope you enjoyed this post and if you are lucky enough to live in one of those areas where they make it easy for you to recycle, thank someone in charge and ask them how it got started and let me know!

Since I originally penned this article I found out that even the next county over they don't have to sort and recycle because the trash company sorts their garbage since they get the money for it. How fair is that?
We have only one Earth, let’s treat it with respect so our children can learn from our example and have a great place to raise their children.