Resource Recovery Stations -- What Are They and Why Should Any Of Us Care?

For the uninitiated, the words "resource recovery station" might suggest some sort of top-secret sci-fi governmental project executed by a number of elite, high-level security clearance employees with off-the-charts IQs. Shrouded in protective head and body gear, these recovery specialists might strategically extract alien DNA from Mars-derived core samples in an effort to generate a viable fossil fuel replacement...or perhaps they could be intent on building an alternate infrastructure and civilization located within the Earth's core (just in case we need a back-up plan sooner than later). 

On the other hand, they could resemble these guys and be entrusted with the task of recovering recyclable components from our everyday waste. Come on now, it's not fair to judge a book by its cover. The resource recovery strategists pictured above may not look quite like what any of us envisioned, but their job is noble nonetheless. While perusing the aisles of Denver's Green Festival last weekend, I observed these gents carefully sorting though all of the waste that fair participants generated and isolating it into specific receptacles  - a responsibility that many of us dismiss on a regular basis. One might think that attendees of a green-themed celebration would be a bit more conscientious regarding what they dispose of and where, but it turns out that people are people and green or not, they certainly kept our waste management specialists on their toes.

Examining the sign posted above the collection station and applying simple powers of deduction and reasoning, the following easily digestible lessons can be learned:

1.   A large majority of what we perceive to be waste can take on new life when it is diverted away from the garbage can. I don’t know about you, but I think that we’ve come a lonnnng way from the old days of the simple paper-cans-plastic-and-glass recycling system. According to the sign above, we have at least three viable alternatives to choose from before resorting to a landfill, and that just scratches the surface of the lengths that some global nations go to. Instead of shrugging our shoulders and inappropriately ditching something (if the solution is not readily available in front of our noses), do a little research online or pick up the phone, ask an expert for advice and then share that knowledge with others.

2.  Adopting a successful resource recovery station requires active community participation. Good intentions are nice, but in order to launch and sustain a long-term program that effectively slashes landfill waste in half (or ideally even more), it is imperative that people across the nation and world get on board and make it a priority. Spread the word, educate each other and walk the walk! Being lazy is not acceptable and every effort to do the right thing adds up.

3.  People need open their eyes and follow guidelines. Going green doesn’t have to be a catchphrase if community members commit to pay attention, follow rules and exercise their own common eco-sense. The resolve of our ever-diligent resource recovery experts was really put to the test for nine straight hours…at a Green FESTIVAL for God’s sake!! While the gentlemen policed their station and advised kind souls who inquired where they should put their this and their that, I witnessed countless fair attendees casually and inappropriately discarding materials in whatever container was closest to them. If I had a dime for every time one of our astute recovery experts swooped into a container, only to rescue a misguided plastic bottle or crumpled-up flyer, I would have accumulated enough money to buy brand new CFLs for my entire 2,500 square foot house. Read signs. Think before acting. Remember that each individual effort can markedly impact the condition of our environment.

4.  It doesn’t require more than an extra second or two to get with the program. No, it’s not too time-consuming to chuck your banana skin in the compost container…ditto for that empty milk container and the wet, soggy newspapers that you just brought in from the garage. Stop bellyaching about your busy schedule and realize that this, too, can become an effortless habit with a little practice.

5.  Read packages and think before you buy.  One of the inherent flaws in the Denver Green Festival resource recovery system was that organizers were naïve in their assumption that everyone was on board with the virtually waste-free theme. They were dismayed to discover that multiple vendors dispensed non-recyclable plastic cutlery (among other landfill-doomed items) to the masses during lunchtime – there wasn’t a corn-based plastic spoon or fork in sight. On an individual level, we can all – as consumers – pay attention to what we bring into our households so that the potential for landfill-destined waste becomes as minimal as possible. Seek out products with modest packaging and try to steer clear of non-recyclable plastic items at all costs. 

On a final note, these mavens of waste retrieval and diversion were, in fact, volunteers who earned every cotton fiber of the token Green Festival t-shirts that they were rewarded with. We can all follow their lead by adopting a similar system in our own homes -- the obvious reward will be the knowledge that we are contributing to a localized waste solution that can lead to greener days ahead.