Every single Saturday, Sunday and holiday, our plant manager, Ruby McCartney, and assistant manager, Keri Chalmers, come to work to dump the collection bins in front of the Recycling Center on Lucas Ferry Rd. These dedicated employees work 6 or 7 day weeks nearly all year long.
This year we would like to give these employees a full holiday weekend to enjoy their families. In order for us to give this gift to them, your help is needed.
On Friday, December 23rd, all of the drop-off bins in front of the recycling center will be removed. There will be no recycling drop off from noon that Friday through 7:00 a.m. on Monday, December 26th.
It is amazing how many people drop off their recycling on Christmas Day! Maybe they are on their way to Grandma’s for Christmas dinner and the center is on the way. Maybe some people just like to get rid of the clutter as quickly as possible.
This year we are asking everyone to hold on to their recycling until Monday, December 26th. We want our employees to enjoy an uninterrupted Christmas weekend. They work awfully hard all year long and we’d like you to help us give them this gift of time.
The Fourth R
We talk about the three Rs all the time. You know them: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. When we visit classrooms, we often share with them the fourth R – RESPECT.
When we have a job to do, it is so important to do it well. A good job reflects well on us; however, the other part of the equation is consideration of the person who must handle our work next. That might be someone painting a wall we’ve primed, adding the next part on an assembly line, or editing an article we’ve written. It might also be the person who handles the recycling we’ve dropped off at the center. We are respecting the next person who must handle our work by doing the very best we can with our part of a process.
Please remember that all our materials are sorted by hand. In order to receive the best prices for materials, they have to be as free of contaminants as possible. We are always amazed at some of the things we find mixed in with the recycling. I’ll just leave it to your imagination!
Here are a few things each of us can do to help streamline the work being done at the recycling center, saving time and expense. I know that I am probably preaching to the choir here. If you read these articles, you already care. Here they are to be shared as needed:
• Remove all Styrofoam, ribbons, bows, peanuts and other items before recycling boxes. These items are not recyclable and must be removed by hand.
• Flatten boxes. This saves room in collection containers and reduces the need for them to be emptied – especially on the weekends.
• Rinse milk jugs before recycling. Soured milk does not make for pleasant working conditions, especially during warm weather.
• Separate recyclables from your garbage.
• Follow the signs that indicate things we DO NOT accept, such as household hazardous waste, tires, and paint. Tires can be taken to one of the four Limestone County Garages for recycling.
A gift you can give all through the year is to just keep recycling! It is good for the environment, good for our community, and it keeps your neighbors employed. Every effort you make is greatly appreciated!
By: Lynne Hart
