April 2024

It feels like I have not written an article for the Mayneliner from M.I.R.S. for far more than 3 months. It was a pleasant break to have input from other board members who, in all likelihood, look at recycling from differing perspectives than myself. And this got me wondering.

Wondering is a wonderful thing. It is something I used when I was teaching adults working towards their grade 12 degree after their having been out of school for quite a few years. I encouraged them to wonder aloud about why an author might have mentioned something in his/her writing. And now here I am wondering.

I wonder about the plethora of recycled materials as mentioned in Sean’s article in last months’ Mayneliner. There was a huge amount of varying product – literally tons – that was brought in to the depot and sent out to various other recycling facilities. How much material was not brought in to the depot but simply garbaged? Are we all truly committed to cleaning up our community, our country , our planet – or do we let our concerns lapse depending on the amount of time it might take to recycle completely. I know I am guilty of chucking something that is just too gross to wash or clean- maybe rationalizing that I should not waste water.

I am writing this article from Costa Rica where the beaches are generally very pristine. But we just left an area where the beaches were somewhat neglected. Intent was there – someone had taken large garbage bags to the beach, gathered many plastic pieces of flotsam and filled the bags. But the bags were simply left there above the high tide line and the wildlife had rummaged through them, dispersing the plastic along the beach. I wonder what the plan, if any, was to get these bags off the beach? (Note to self and community about beach cleanup in April).

I wonder about all of the changes that have taken place over the years at the depot. I started volunteering there 13 years ago and have seen many changes. From having to separate #3 plastic from #7 plastic to a catch all. From putting your stuff from your blue bin into the blue bins at the depot and then having us dump them into the balers to the large white totes. Have these changes encouraged the community to recycle more?

I wonder about the many monthly articles that have been written over the years in the
Mayneliner. Have these articles inspired you to be better recyclers (this means reducing,
reusing, recycling and rethinking)? I wonder about those 100,000 beer and liquor containers that have come through the depot in the past year. How many of those are mine? (I feel I might go to Recycling Heaven since I now use a Kegerator for my Mayne Island Brewery beers).

I wonder if I have been in the sun too long which has made me wonder so much.

- Richard Jarco