Green is the new black right?  Heck, there is even a new Green channel on cable!  One of the things I love about my neighborhood in Summerville, SC is that recycling is made so easy.  I try to be green both at work and at home and making it easy is a key component in making it actually happen. 

Here in The Bridges of Summerville, they make it super simple by having pick up services every Friday.  One week they pick up cans, plastic, etc and the next week they pick up paper.  Weeks alternate, except when there is a 5th Friday in the month.  That Friday they have off. 

I will admit that I do get a little frustrated sometimes by the lack of enthusiasm from our neighbors of this awesome benefit in our little community.  Monday is garbage day and yesterday, as I left the neighborhood to go to my office, I noticed that many of our neighbors had overflowing garbage cans... many with piles of boxes and plastic products piled up high (cat litter pails, laundry detergent bottles, etc).  One of the board members (who happens to live a few doors down from me) even has 2 overflowing garbage cans.... sigh. 

With this in mind I would like to add a few tips to help you recycle in your neighborhood....

• Create a recycling center in your kitchen.  In my kitchen I have two pull out garbage cans side by side.  One is for our actual garbage and the other is for recyclable cans/bottles, plastic bags, etc.  I also have a plastic bin next to my counter for paper recyclables (pizza boxes, cereal boxes, flyers, discarded mail, etc).  Because they are in reach it is easy to recycle.  It is no harder for my family members to put the green bean can in the recycle than in the garbage can. 
• Have a holding area in your garage.  Because we keep bins for plastic and bags of recycled products it is important to have a place to keep these.  Some may stay for close to 2 weeks (since our recycled products are every other week). 
• Keep a recycle paper bin in your office near your shredder.  We keep a large rubbermaid tote in a corner of the office for us to empty the shredder into.  This keeps us from taking the easy route and just putting it in the trash can. 
• Keep multiple bins & use clear garbage bags.  Having multiple bins in the garage keeps the space clean and keeps it easy.  Using clear garbage bags helps your recycler identify that the bags are in fact recycle and not garbage.

Let's face it, we are a society of consumers these days.  My family used to go through 2 large city garbage cans (you know, the really big green ones on wheels) every single week.  Now that we recycle, we typically have less than a half a garbage can go out every Monday!  It makes you feel good to know that you are doing your part to help the environment. 

I hope my neighbors here in Summerville read this and in the coming weeks I see more and more recycle and the garbage can levels come down.