Going green. Global warming. Renew and reuse. Climate change. Recycling. These are phrases that are becoming more common with every passing day.
One Web site says that “as stewards of the environment, we are responsible for preserving and protecting our resources for ourselves and future generations.” I couldn’t agree more.
From groups of individuals who carpool to towns that have recycling centers to Valley’s Go Green Vision 2012 campaign, there are several organizations and people in the community already taking steps in that direction.
In Thursday’s Commonwealth, many of you read about the Environmental Protection Agency’s visit to Mississippi Valley State University. Valley is attempting to go green, and EPA officials who were on campus this week were impressed with the university’s efforts thus far.
According to university officials, in the next 30 days Valley will begin recycling old cell phones, computer laptops, cell phone batteries and other digital equipment. A company will pay Valley $1 per phone, and the money will be put into the university scholarship fund.
The community service project is being spearheaded by the Office of Sponsored Programs, but it will reach far beyond the Itta Bena campus. There also will be receptacles for these items at the university’s Greenwood and Greenville centers.
Other efforts at the university include giving incoming students their handbook and catalogue on flash drives to reduce printing and paper usage and replacing trash receptacles with trio receptacles — one for paper, one for plastic and one for aluminum.
Valley already is using old grease to make biofuels as a part of the Go Green effort. Just read Thursday’s Profile edition for more on how that program is working.
And there are more projects to come in Valley’s go green campaign.
But the university is not alone in its efforts to make our community more environmentally friendly.
The Greenwood-Leflore County Chamber of Commerce Community Pride Committee on Wednesday discussed starting a recycling program with Greenwood Mayor Sheriel Perkins and Public Works Director Benny Herring.
The Community Pride Committee has been discussing the need to start a recycling program for a couple of years, but it appears that, with the city’s support, things may finally get off the ground, at least in a small way, this year.
Beth Stevens, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, has been in contact with officials in Oxford who started a small recycling program 10 years ago. The Oxford program has grown each year and is now a money-making endeavor. The committee, along with city officials, will travel to Oxford in late March to get a firsthand look at the operation.
There are many questions still to be answered, but the effort is progressing. And the trip to Oxford should give much-needed insight in getting the Greenwood program off the ground.
It is exciting to see the community taking positive steps to make this program a reality and improve our community for future generations.
Many larger cities across the nation already have mandatory recycling efforts, where people are fined if they do not separate their trash.
As far as the committee knows, there isn’t another town in the Delta that has a recycling program in place. But you have to believe that with all the emphasis on improving our environment and preventing global warming, it is only a matter of time until everyone will have to recycle whether they want to or not.
I am glad to know we live in a community that is working to be proactive in this effort instead of reactive.
Recycling is a win-win situation for everyone involved. It helps reduce solid waste collection and transportation and disposal costs. It generates revenue from the sale of recyclable materials. It will create jobs. And most importantly, it will make the community more attractive and marketable.
Recycling also saves energy, environmental conditions and natural resources, and it reduces pollution. It also saves space for waste disposal.
There is grant money available for the project through the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, and the committee plans to apply for those funds this year.
Greenwood’s program will probably start out very small, with only a few items being collected the first year. The hope is to grow the program and number of items collected each year.
One of the most important aspects of a recycling program will be educating the community on how it will work and why it is important. That will take some effort on all our parts.
But through a joint effort of the city, county and citizens of Leflore County, this is something we can do, and our community will be all the better for doing it.
