Recyle & Reuse: Here's How
by DuEwa Fraizer
I live in New York City where it is the law to recycle. Like most major cities across the country, there is a recycling regime put into place for all residents. Whether you live in a house, a privately owned building, apartment, condo or co-op, it is mandatory to recycle. When I first moved into my apartment a few years ago, my landlord had containers and large cans outside, clearly marked: TRASH, CARDBOARD, and BOTTLES/CANS. When I dropped my bags or bundles of trash in the large cans in front of my building, I assumed that my landlord and/or building superintendent was separating the items to recycle.
Well almost two years ago, I found out that the landlord does not always separate the recyclable bottles and related waste for the recycling pick-up. This bothered me. I took the time to separate my trash (only the bottles and cardboard) accordingly, and so I wondered why each week he didn’t seem to be putting the recycling out onto the curb. That’s when I called NYC information at 311 and asked them about tenant and landlord responsibilities for recycling. The representative informed me that landlords/building owners are required to recycle and that they would receive a hefty fine for not doing so. I was like, “Wow!” I knew my landlord would not want to be fined. I wanted to be more involved in the process, so I started religiously separating and bagging all of my recyclable trash waste each week (not forgetting to do it at times, as I had in the past). My landlord started to see me putting my own recycle bags out on the curb for the city to pick up on Fridays. It didn’t bother him, it was actually making his job easier. I decided I wanted to be more conscious of this process. Of all the things I’ve accumulated through the years, I thought surely I could be doing more to recycle my waste besides separating cardboard and bottles. That’s when I decided to go online and look at the entire list of items that should be recycled here in New York City if you live in an apartment, home, etc.
What I found is that I could separate into a clear blue bag the following items and more: printer paper, newspaper, boxes from food product (boxes of dry pasta, veggie burgers, cereal boxes), aluminum foil, junk mail, used envelopes, etc. I also have a separate recycling bag for all plastic and glass bottles and containers. After becoming aware of this and beginning to be more conscious on a daily basis to recycle, I realized I could recycle in other ways too. After I print something from my computer, if I’m not mailing it or giving it to someone, I reuse the other side and print on the same paper again! Once both sides of the paper are used, I then recycle.
I know that I am contributing to the good of our environment by recycling. I now include the .99 cent box of clear blue recycling bags on my grocery list. I even use the same tote bags and reusable grocery bags when I shop. Something else I do to reuse and recycle is finding multi-purpose uses for small cosmetic bottles once I have used up the product they contained. For the bottles I have no use for, I simply clean them out and put them in the recycling bag along with other bottles and containers.
USES FOR EMPTY PRODUCT BOTTLES:
Spray bottles: try filling it up with water and a fragrant oil to create a natural home and body spray.
Lotion bottles: if you have a bunch of product samples such as conditioner, shampoo or travel size lotion try combining the same type of product into a larger bottle and then get rid of the small ones (or only use them if you’re traveling).
Other small/medium size bottles or jars: if you’re going to your building laundry mat downstairs or the neighborhood laundry, use one of your empty product containers to put 2 or more cups of detergent in. Now you won't have to lug your gallon of detergent with you.
Glass honey, salad dressing, mayonnaise and salsa jars: use these to store your own homemade sauces and dressings or keep dried herbs or homemade bath salts in them.
Go online or call your city’s information number to find out how you can become more conscious about recycling and reusing.
Here's what your city is doing to RECYCLE!
Philadelphia Recycling http://www.recyclenowphiladelphia.org/recyclenow_main.html
Washington, DC Recycling http://dpw.dc.gov/dpw/cwp/view,a,1202,q,518052,dpwNav,31202.asp
Atlanta Recycling http://www.atlantaga.gov/government/publicworks/trashonly.aspx
St. Louis Recycling http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/recycle/
Detroit Recycling http://www.ci.detroit.mi.us/greaterresource/recycling.htm
Los Angeles Recycling http://www.lacity.org/san/solid_resources/strategic_programs/larecycles/index.htm
Miami Recycling http://www.citymiami.net/SolidWaste/pages/SolidWaste_Services/recycling.asp
Cleveland Recycling http://www.city.cleveland.oh.us/CityofCleveland/Home/Government/CityAgencies/PublicService/Waste/Cleveland%20Recycles!/Recycling%20and%20Waste%20Disposal%20Guide
DuEwa Frazier is a writer, poet, performer, author and speaker. She resides in New York City. Visit her website at www.litnoirepublishing.com.
DuEwa Frazier is a writer, poet, actress and author based in New York. She is the author of two volumes of poetry and the editor of the 2007 NAACP Image Award nominated anthology, Check the Rhyme: An Anthology of Female Poets & Emcees. Known as an inspirational performer and writer, her poetry and journalistic writings have appeared in numerous publications including Essence, Drumvoices Revue, Allhiphop.com, X Magazine and others. In 2005 she featured in the documentary arts film “Rhyme and Reason.” DuEwa has performed at numerous venues and recently featured in a play and short film. She is currently at work on a number of new projects including her new column Fly Butterfly! Contact her at duewa_frazier@litnoirepublishing.com .
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