This week, The Insider says goodbye to a good friend, Elaine Kellerman, known to our fair readers as The Recyclinator. For two years, Elaine has provided valuable tips on how to reduce our waste and reminded us to be more conscious about our environment. We thank her for her passion and hard work. She leaves us with these words:
Over two years ago, I responded to an invitation by The Insider. At that time, they were seeking volunteer “ambassadors” to submit content on topics of personal interest. Mine was the environment, recycling specifically. The byline of “Recyclinator” was the creation of then-Insider reporter Katie Henry and then-editor Danielle Kronk. In retrospect, it sounds catchier than “Earth Friend” – my suggestion.
The birth of the column was the result of my frustration with Concord's abysmal recycling rate of less than 10 percent. My goal was to encourage residents to recycle more, emphasizing the simple yet effective means of helping the environment and feeling good in the process.
What a difference 24 months can make! Concord has increased the amount it recycles by 57 percent, according to city figures. Although I would love to be able to take full credit for this statistical change, it is due in large part to the implementation of our pay-as-you-throw program. When people had to pay for their trash by the bag, they generated less and recycling rates suddenly skyrocketed. Sometimes the best way to affect change is to make it personal. If you choose not to recycle, you will spend more money throwing out trash than your neighbor who recycles. It became very clear to Concord that recycling would save money. The evidence was in the purple bags, the fewer the better.
Regardless of why it occurred, it is indisputable that the increase in recycling is a boon for the city and the environment. Since we are recycling more, we are trashing less. We are hauling 53 percent less tonnage to the incinerator, city figures show. Since the cost to burn trash has increased from $43 per ton to $62.10 per ton, Concord is saving money. In these tough economic times, this is welcome news.
It seems the right time to end this column. I'd like to thank Katie MacKenzie for giving me this incredible opportunity to share my thoughts with the readers of The Insider. Keep up the good work, Concord! And remember, it is easy being green.
