Recycling for a Greener Planet
Story by Rebecca Pierre
“Go green” seems to be the catch phrase for the 21st century. Green habits often save you money, which is always a plus, but especially so in today’s economic climate. By making small green efforts, we can improve our health and life as well.
Now the town of Leland will be helping its residents go green. Starting in 2009, a curbside recycling program will enable residents to live a greener lifestyle at no additional cost. Recycling bins will be distributed for free to single-family homes within the Leland city limits, and collection began in February.
Recyclable items include newspapers, magazines, catalogs, paperboard boxes (cereal boxes, shoe boxes), phone books, plastics, glass, and aluminum and steel cans. All containers should be rinsed and have their tops removed, and plastic containers should be crushed. Items not accepted in these bins include plate glass, ceramic materials or any glass that is not a food or beverage container; aluminum foil or pie plates and other such items; corrugated cardboard, pizza boxes or Styrofoam; plastic toys or containers that are not #1 through #6 (check the bottom of the container for the number). Newspapers must be tied in bundles and placed on the top of the bin. In case of rain, the bundle of newspapers can serve as a weight to hold a plastic bag in place to prevent the bin from filling with water. These recyclables will be collected by Waste Industries on the same day that trash is collected. Bins should be placed at curbside no later than 6 a.m. Specific instructions can be found on the Town of Leland’s Recycling web page at http://www.townofleland.com/recycling.html.
Since the town of Leland has taken the initiative, this is a good time for all of us to look at other ways we can contribute to the green movement. Our combined efforts, small though they may seem, can make a big difference to our lives, the lives of others and the health of our environment. Consider these simple steps for living a more sustainable lifestyle.
Join Freecycle. The Freecycle mission “... is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources and eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community.” It is a nonprofit movement made up of 4,667 groups with 6,311,000 members around the world.The Brunswick County Freecycle Network is open to all Brunswick County North Carolina residents.Someone needs that chair, fax machine, monitor, refrigerator or screen door that you need to get rid of.Someone would like to get rid of that washing machine, dryer, blender or sewing machine that you need. Check out the website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/brunswickfree/
Recycle old batteries. Americans throw out almost 180,000 tons of batteries every year. Start replacing your single-use batteries with rechargeable ones. You will save money, and fewer batteries will end up in our landfills. Remember that recycling batteries, at no cost to you, is also an option. When rechargeable batteries reach the end of their usable life, look for retailers who will recycle batteries or get rid of them safely if they are not recyclable. Visit www.batteryrecycling.com to learn more.
Recycle your electronics. www.BuyMyTronics.com is an online recycling outfit that will buy — for cash — your old laptop, cell phone, camera, iPod and more. They purchase broken/non-functional devices as well as working devices because they can take the working parts and use them to fix other devices. All you have to do is answer a few questions about the condition of your item and they will give you a quote. You ship it to them and get your money through PayPal.
Recycle your cell phone. Cell phones contain toxic metals. When these metals end up in landfills they can pollute the environment and be a threat to health. When they are recycled, the metals can be put back into circulation, which in turn decreases the need for new metal mining. All makes and models of mobile phones, pagers and PDAs can be recycled no matter the age or condition. The folks at www.recyclemycellphone.org just ask that you be sure to include the batteries, chargers and other accessories. All you have to do is fill out a form, print the mailing receipt and postage-paid mailing label, put your cell phone, charger and accessories in a box or padded envelope, and mail it.
Or you can host a cell-phone collection in your community. The folks at www.recyclemycellphone.org will provide you with all the necessary supplies needed to run the collection drive, including collection boxes, posters, pre-paid mailing labels, post cards and information. Proceeds of approximately $1 per phone will be sent directly to your nonprofit group.
Recycle your vehicle. Car, truck, boat, Jet-Ski, motorcycle, RV, trailer ...Many nonprofit organizations will be interested in your vehicle even if it doesn’t run. They will gladly pick up towable vehicles for free. Some nonprofits that recycle vehicles in this area include Habitat for Humanity; WHQR Radio in Wilmington and PETA.
Compost.
In addition to composting food scraps, you’ll be amazed at the inedible things you can add to your compost pile: shredded catalogs and magazines (in fact any paper), fish food, catnip, rope, leather items, white glue, wool or cotton socks, old candy, vacuum cleaner bags with contents, dryer lint, moldy cheese, aquarium plants, hair, cat and dog fur, nail clippings, matches, wood chips, ashes — in short, anything of organic origin.
North Brunswick CountyDrop-Off Recycling Centers
Brunswick
River
Park
Leland
Community
Park
Leland
Town Hall (includes Vegetative Yard Debris Center*)
Town Creek District Park
Other Brunswick County Drop-Off Recycling Centers
Lockwood
Folly
Community
Building
Lockwood
Folly
District
Park
Shallotte
District
Park
Waccamaw
Elementary School
Items that can be recycled at these centers are:
Aluminum and steel cans
Newspaper, mixed paper, junk mail, envelopes, magazines
Paperboard (i.e. cereal boxes) and corrugated cardboard
#1-#6 plastic containers
Green, brown and clear glass containers
*Vegetative Yard Debris Center: Limbs must be of manageable size (no larger than 4 inches in diameter, no longer than 4 feet in length).No construction debris is allowed.
Call (910) 253-2520 for hours of operation
Convenient Site Recycling Bins
Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Belville Convenient Site - 9921 Chapell Loop Road SE, Leland
Highway 904 Convenient Site - 736 Seaside Road SW, Calabash
Oxpen Road Convenient Site - 1709 Oxpen Road SW, Supply
Southport Convenient Site - 8392 River Road SE, Southport
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