Thanks To Tracey Linden for contributing this article!!!!
Did you know that Americans dispose enough paper and plastic products each year to circle the world 300 times and Americans dispose approximately 1 billion plastic shopping bags each year? How about if we all pitched in and recycled, it could create more than 1 million green jobs?
According to the Clean Air Council, these facts are true. Recycling is not only good for the planet, it’s good for our health too. Recycling reduces the amount of pollution and carbon dioxide we breathe, keeps our water clear of harmful pollutants and chemicals and reduces the risk and exposure of serious health conditions caused by toxic waste, such as certain cancers and terminal diseases.
If you are wondering how you can pitch in to better your health and preserve the planet for future generations to come— your answer is here. Gather your friends, family, neighbors and coworkers to brainstorm an America Recycles Day event on November 15th 2011. If you are in college, ask your university to hold a campus-wide event that encourages students to recycle. Ask them to provide students with useful information about where the campus recycling bins are, as well as their policies on what you can and cannot recycle on campus.
To prepare for the event, visit AmericaRecyclesDay.org to download an “ Organizer Toolkit”. After you review the toolkit, discuss your event with a store or property manager, professor or city hall official as soon as possible. Ask if you can set up a booth at a high traffic area, such as a shopping center, business park, school, gym or library. Bring a copy of the toolkit so that the manager or official fully understands the initiative.
Once you get approval, visit AmericaRecyclesDay.org to register your event. There you can also find promotional materials like pledge cards, banners and posters. Display them prominently at your table and around your chosen location. Send a news release to local radio stations and news outlets, and a mass email or Facebook invite to all your contacts— which helps with promoting the event as well as providing details like the date and time of the event and how they can get involved.
On the day of, organize exciting and educational recycling events at the same location you used to spread-the-word.
Some ideas for your booth:
ñ Set up trash bins for different recyclables and create a game where children and adults alike can guess what can be recycled and what cannot. Let them throw the items in which basket they think is the right one.
ñ Pass out informative fliers and set up a laptop to collect digital pledges.
ñ Offer freebies, like pencils, stickers and pins— all provided by AmericaRecyclesDay.org.
ñ Don’t forget to bring a camera to capture every moment.
ñ If you are on campus or at work, make the recycling bins stand out by attaching baloons and label the bins with diagrams of what can and can’t be recycled.
If you are unable to set up a local event, enter your zip code at AmericaRecyclesDay.org to find an event happening near you. Encourage everyone you know to make a pledge. Then, take the steps necessary to help preserve our planet. Recycle daily, compost food scraps, use greener forms of transportation and dispose of unwanted electronics, like cell phones and televisions, properly. Don’t take our planet for granted. Be a recycling superhero today!
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