Valentine’s Day and Waste

For my first job after college I was an Environmental Specialist Level Two at a Resource Recovery plant. Energy was created by converting garbage into a fuel. However, all recyclable items were removed before burning the remaining garbage to produce electricity that was sold to LILCO. For example, glass was recycled by color and when a clear diamond went through the system, alarms went off and the system shut down. Within one year, three diamonds were recovered and just over $100,000.00 dollars in coins, left in discarded pocketbooks, were processed from the garbage. I was amazed and soon realized how many valuable things were lost or wasted.

Less than a year later I was married and didn’t have much money for a gift or a night out on St. Valentine’s Day. I had just started a new job since the Resource Recovery plant closed down. So I used the lesson I learned about not wasting waste. With an old checker picnic table cloth over our tall round kitchen garbage can, three used candles, a handmade marquis, and a half broken Walkman playing romantic music at full volume, I converted our apartment’s kitchen into a cafe on the streets of Paris. I had dinner made when my wife arrived home from her job, not one electric light switch was turned on, we talked for hours, and the Walkman batteries held out until we fell asleep. Needless to say, it was one of the best Valentine’s Day we had.

This Valentine’s Day think about what you already have to use creatively, because on average, each American puts into the trash the following:

1. Items that can be recycled totaling 24% of the trash!
2. Items that can be composted totaling 48% of the trash!
3. Items that are reusable, such as closet hangers, totaling 6%!

As we get ready for spring cleaning, think twice. For the same amount of time it takes to find a company to deliver a Dumpster at the best price, you can call your Church, Temple, Community Center, or local Non-profit organizations such as Vietnam Veterans of America at wepickup.org. Most organizations pick up many items such as old appliances, kitchen tables and sofas for free.

America, we must stop wasting waste to live a healthier and more sustainable life that not only saves us money and energy, but also our children’s future environment. Let it be some old candles or an old checker picnic table cloth that makes a Valentine’s Day amazing.