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Show PAGE 24 THE ZEPHYRMAY 89 RECYCLING can it work in and for Grand County? by Audrey Graham Were all aware that the world's most scenic dump will soon be filled to capacity, and is becoming uglier and more dangerous every day. It is obvious that In the near future we will need to sacrifice yet another spot of this precious land to "hide the spoils of our disposable society. Is there any alternative to this never-endi-ng cycle? Does anyone out there remember that old fad called recycling? The word It Is estimated that at least 70 recycle means, very simply, to "re-usof all "garbage is either directly (as is, such as returnable glass bottles and paper that Is still blank on one side), or indirectly, such as newspaper and aluminum cans which are shredded, melted, etc. before being made into new products. "This cuts down on litter, cuts back on excessive waste of energy, virgin materials, and valuable land now used as dumps, plus has the potential for saving the taxpayers thousands of dollars now spent on disposal, according to the North Coast Environmental Centers brochure on the importance of recycling. "At present, when we throw something 'away,' we are actually just putting it some place else. Nothing Is ever thrown We are simply operating on borrowed time; the disposable society we away. live In cannot go on forever. Is recycling a feasible endeavor in Grand County? Is it a money-maki- ng venture? Should it be? Would it be supported by enough residents to make it e." re-usa- ble worthwhile? On the west coast recycling is not only becoming a routine part of life, is becoming good business. Metals, newspaper, glass, computer paper, even some plastics are being recycled and saving money and energy for communities, government, and homeowners. Besides the reduction of landfill costs, there is money to be made from the gathered materials. In San Jose, California, recycled materials worth $224,000 were collected during one month with their curbside recycling program. This program Is run by the City of San Jose and the profits go right back to the City. Perhaps the time has come for Grand County residents to really "get acquainted with the amount of waste we contribute to the landfill, to habitually sort our garbage Into recyclable vs. "absolute waste. Would our county or city government be willing to look into the recycling option? At present, city residents pay a mandatory fee of $10.80 per month for garbage pick-- up by a private contractor. Many county residents simply burn all their garbage, adding greatly to the air pollution problem in the Moab valley and spewing unfittered toxic chemicals Into the air. Following the example of cities throughout the United States, we could attach bins to existing garbage trucks and have them pick up recyclable materials as they collect our garbage. Sound crazy? Look closer. Since a recycling program would extend the life of the landfill and avoid or put off the need for more expensive methods of disposal such as incineration, the costs should be weighed NOT against current average costs, but FUTURE costs. If the garbage contractor sells the recyclable materials and increases his profits, he can then lower the cost of garbage collection to each household. We all save money. If he expanded his service to include the county, not just the city, he would need to increase his manpower (more jobs would be created) and his tax base would increase. It is all connected and the possibilities are endless. Until the county or city is willing to get Involved, there may be money to be made for an enterprising person who could set up a recycling center at the entrance of the dump. With a scale, some big collection bins, and a it the traveling tub owner jeff davis, 2250 murphy In 259-846- 3 truck, one could pay recyclers the going rate for recyclables. However, it appears that, until the boom hits the intermountain area, materials may need to be shipped to the coast for the best market. And there go the profits. But if Grand County residents would be willing to donate recyclables just to "do their part, it may be profitable, especially if closer markets can be found. Another option is to start a voluntary community program whose sole purpose would be to cut down on waste going to the dump. In other words, no one would profit directly; the program would just (hopefully) pay for itself. Preliminary work on this option has run into a few snags. However, these could be overcome with a little brainstorming from other Interested citizens. Obviously the first thing we need to find is a market for the things we collect Some phone calls to Grand Junction recycling businesses revealed just how wealthy we can become for our efforts: Cardboard brings a penny a pound, as does newspaper and cheap computer paper. High quality, "green bar" computer paper (even shredded) brings 4 12 to 5 cents per pound, but by February all businesses had stopped taking glass no market for the time being. No one takes cans, other than aluminum, or paper. HOWEVER, on the West Coast plastics, or glossy magazine and junk-m- ail all of these markets are starting to boom. There is hope. At present then, it appears we could successfully recycle 1. corrugated cardboard (which alone can account for 25 by weight of municipal solid waste), 2. computer paper (there is a lot of this paper with personal computers becoming more common), and 3. newspaper. We could also check into Salt Lake, Albuquerque, and Denver markets. The only way to finance transportation to such distant markets would probably be to hook up with companies shipping products to Moab who have trucks which return empty to the large cities. Does anyone have any connections? ur Another decision is whether to establish a recycling drop-o- ff center somewhere in town or to establish single-da- y "drives on a regular basis. There are pros and cons to both, but looking at other dtles programs could give us a clearer picture of which option would work best for us. Regardless of the option we choose, it is high time we begin taking responsibility for our waste, before we begin to smother in tt. Even If we only begin on a small, voluntary scale with paper and cardboard; once we have some sort of system in place, we can take advantage of new recycling markets as they open up. Hopefully even plastics, which are beginning to be recyclable in bigger areas, will someday be completely reusable or outlawed. We can't afford to wait much longer. If you have suggestions. Ideas, connections or just enthusiasm, let your voice be heard by our elected If you are especially interested, or If you have a group officials. Interested In helping, I am compiling a list of people for future reference; give me a call at 259-86Recycling is very valuable, though right now it may not be a money-maki- ng venture in this area. Things are recycled for good reasons not necessarily for good profits. Let's get started. 24-ho- 64. JIM DAVIS TREE AND LANDSCAPING CO. COMPLETE: tree service large trees lawn maintenance evergreens & bonsai yard and lot clean-up- s tilling ivs dates are filling fast call now! 259-784- 2 making Moab beautiful |