Recycling Vs Trash

I recycle. In Lubbock you have four recycling options:  You can take metals and battery to a commercial company that does that kind of recycling.  You can subscribe to a curbside recycling company, or you can bring your recyclables to a city drop off point. Or, you can do nothing.

I take my recyclables to a city drop off point. The place I use takes plastics, glass, aluminium, tin cans, newspaper, and computer paper.

The frequency of my needing to bring items to the recycler varies:  I have had to go more often recently, as I am recycling the plastic drink bottles I bring to work, and bring  home to recylce. Years ago, I brought aluminum cans to work, and left them, as they were recycled for cash for landscaping and employee parties.  But we are no longer allowed to bring aluminium cans of drinks to work.

I have met some interesting people at the recycling center.  I spent several minutes one time speaking to a man who was torn about his career choices. Recently, someone new to the community asked about recycling and how it works.  Acquaintances have haled me to give me good thoughts and information.

When I was a child, we recycled newspapers, as the Boy Scouts did this as a fund raiser every year: the newspapers were sold for paper pulp.  When I left New England in 1977, recycling was common. But not in Lubbock, Texas. I did what I could, to recycle.

Years later, Lubbock had a "blue bag" program which involved using blue plastic bags for recyclables, hanging them on the dumpsters, to be picked up. Not enough people participated to make it successful. How sad.  the local stores used blue plastic bags for our purchases, so no one had to buy a blue bag.  But, still, it did not work.

What is wrong with the citizens of Lubbock, that they are not more environmentally aware? It makes me sad and angry that this city that has such a "Christian" identity does not understand the importance of good stewardship of the environment.

I think this parallels what I learned about people in Lubbock and the use of alcohol: They preach abstinence, but on the sly, use, and hide their use from their neighbors. I think Lubbock citizens preach other Christian values, but do not practice what they preach.