Roth: A recycled holiday
By Jim Roth | December 12, 2011
During the holiday season I can get a little tired trying to make sure I get the perfect gift for my family and friends; exasperated by time, budget and the lingering question of whether it all adds meaning to the season. But you know what else gets me a little stressed out? All that leftover wrapping paper and the needless waste that happens this time of year.
There’s just so much of it after Christmas morning when everyone has torn through their presents. And you know what is even more worrisome? We don’t recycle, and it’s really easier than ever to do so.
Recycling is such an important part of living a sustainable life. Reusing resources leads to a reduction in waste, which leads to less environmental waste, which leads to a cleaner planet. But most importantly, it means less trash. And perhaps it’s a great lesson to those young kids ‘wrapped up’ in the commercial side of Christmas.
As a proud resident of Oklahoma City, I love the effort we make to reduce, reuse, and recycle. With curbside recycling in Oklahoma City, you can recycle plastics 1-7, mixed paper and newspapers, aluminum and tin cans, and glass bottles and jars. Plus, Oklahoma City has a Beyond the Bin program that allows residents to recycle things in many places throughout the city. For example, you can recycle batteries at your local Office Depot, Radio Shack or Westlake Ace Hardware.
Recycling is so incredibly important. Recycling allows us to save natural resources and natural areas. By recycling, we slow down the rate by which we use non-renewable resources. Plus, we are able to preserve the amount of land needed for landfills and timber. Through recycling, you are also able to reduce the amount of overall energy that is expended into making products. Consider that it takes approximately 20 times more energy to make aluminum from its original ore than it does to just recycle aluminum.
As if that wasn’t enough, recycling reduces pollution. Some of the most harmful things to our environment we breathe in our air every day. Utilizing less energy and reusing more resources means that we send less harmful toxins into our atmosphere that ultimately pollute our lungs. That means healthier citizens and lower health care costs.
There really is just no end to the list of benefits from recycling. The industry alone continues to create jobs in Oklahoma and across the country. So, this Christmas, before you throw that wrapping paper away, please recycle and give the gift of sustainability – it really does keeping giving all year long.
Jim Roth, a former Oklahoma corporation commissioner, is an attorney with Phillips Murrah P.C. in Oklahoma City, where his practice focuses on clean, green energy for Oklahoma.