Weather events seem to be getting more extreme; the Rio Grande Valley alone endured a crippling ice storm and related power outages last year, and this year is dealing with yet another heat wave and drought that has forced Valley cities and counties to issue calls for water conservation, some of them mandatory.
People continue to debate whether these wild swings in conditions are caused by pollution and other man-made causes, or if it’s just Mother Nature showing us that we can’t predict the future with any certainty. Either way, prudence tells most people to play it safe and pay more attention to activities that might affect our environment. One of the oldest strategies to reduce our impact on the environment has been to promote recycling of as many materials as possible, which both reduces the impact of building new items from scratch and the amount of refuse that gets sent to our rapidly-filling landfills.
Brownsville and Rancho Viejo are the latest Valley communities to implement curbside recycling programs. Initial participation has been moderate — residents have to buy in to the program, agreeing to pay a $15 monthly fee.
We wish them luck. Other Valley cities have launched similar programs; not all of them continue.
In fact, this is the third curbside recycling program Brownsville has tried since 2010; it previously had sponsored a program in which bins were placed at several grocery and department store parking lots throughout the city so people could deposit recyclable items on their shopping trips.
Those efforts, like several others in other cities, have been unsustainable largely because often they have proven costly. The market for recyclable material often isn’t enough to offset the cost of the large trucks and bins used in a curbside program, not to mention the salaries of people needed to run the program, sort the items, etc. Some cities were found to not be recycling at all, but taking their loads to the landfill, because it was the most cost-effective option.
Brownsville’s latest effort is managed through a contractor, Redfish Recycling, and collects fees from those who choose to participate. The cost could drive some people away, especially those who already complain about the cost of regular trash collection.
Of course, people who support the idea of recycling but balk at the cost can find options. For example, neighbors who wouldn’t fill the recycling bin alone could combine their efforts and share the bin — and cost.
Moreover, those who promote recycling usually make just part of an overall program that also includes reducing the use of, or reusing, disposable goods. Such options include choosing retail items that are packaged in recyclable or biodegradable material, or repurposing the packaging for other use. For example, some people have found it convenient to cut the tops of large water or soda bottles and using them as planters or bins to hold small household items.
Residents surely can find new uses for other materials, which would make recycling necessary. In the end, any effort to reduce the trashing of our neighborhood, and of our planet, deserves consideration.
