Dear Recycle Lady,
We live in Lewisburg and have weekly trash pickup by Greenbrier Valley Solid Waste trucks. Is it true that having trash pickup in Lewisburg includes curbside pickup for our recyclables?
Hopeful
Dear Hopeful,
Yes, it is true that citizens of Lewisburg with weekly trash pickup also have biweekly curbside pickup of recyclables. Greenworks Recycling contracts with Lewisburg to pick up recyclables of all customers who have trash pickup. Bags for recycling aluminum cans (red) and plastic bottles (yellow) can be picked up at Open Doors, across the street from the Lewisburg Post Office. Other recyclables, such as newspapers, office paper, magazines/slicks, and steel (tin) cans can be put in a bag or box for pickup. A black plastic bag should never be used for these recyclables as it would be picked up as trash. Small cardboard boxes can be put in larger cardboard boxes for pickup. All recyclables should be placed a short distance from trash pickup – on the other side of your driveway is recommended. Monday, Jan. 22 is the next week for recyclable pickup.
Dear Recycle Lady,
What is Overshoot Day?
Another New Term
Dear Another New Term,
There are two overshoot days, Earth Overshoot Day and Ecological Overshoot Day. Today’s column will be about Earth Overshoot Day only. Next week, Ecological Overshoot Day will be addressed. Earth Overshoot Day is the day when humans have used up all the natural resources and services that the Earth can regenerate in a year. In other words, it is the date when nature’s budget for the year has been exhausted. From Earth Overshoot Day on, which this year was August 2, we are living beyond our means. The Global Footprint Network calculates Earth Overshoot Day by considering factors such as water consumption, food production, and carbon emissions, as well as the usage of other resources. This year’s date is three weeks earlier than last year which indicates that ecological and carbon footprints have increased but the Earth’s regeneration of resources has diminished.This deficit is maintained by using up natural resources and accumulating greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. We are living a lifestyle that is unsustainable. According to earth.org, our current rate of consumption requires 1.7 Earths to produce and regenerate all the recourses we use today.
Good News: Don’t throw away a broken heel, a shirt with missing buttons or a dress with a tear in it if you live in France. The government will pay a “repair bonus” to have them mended in an effort to reduce fast fashion and cut down on waste.
Sad News: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has declared 21 species extinct in 2023. The extinct species include: Bachman’s warbler, a black and yellow songbird, formerly found in several Southern states, eight freshwater mussels, eight Hawaiian honeycreeper birds, a catfish found only in Ohio, the Bridled White-Eye bird of Guam, a one-inch-long fish from Texas, and the little Mariana fruit bat of Guam. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, there are now 650 species that have gone extinct in the U.S. Climate change, pollution, and invasive species all contribute to the loss. The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is a crucial tool for preventing the extinction of critically endangered species, but it doesn’t always prevent extinction. Federal protection for imperiled species is critical.
Have questions about recycling, or interesting information about recycling? Send questions or requests to grecycle450@gmail.com. Dear Recycle Lady is sponsored jointly by the Greenbrier Recycling Center and Greenworks Recycling.