This post was originally published in the Teton Valley News on December 5th, 2013. It is reposted with permission. Gift giving season is in full swing! Children are busy writing letters to Santa, spouses are dropping hints, and almost everyone is busy preparing for the holiday season. Gift giving can be a wonderful tradition. However,…
This post was originally published it the Teton Valley News on November 7th, 2013. It is reposted with permission. As the executive director of Teton Valley Community Recycling, I probably think about reducing my personal waste more than the average person. Still, when I was invited to join Northwest Earth Institute’s 2013 EcoChallenge, I realized…
This article was originally published in the Teton Valley News on October 3, 2013. It is reposted with permission. For the past year and a half, I’ve been imploring readers to think outside of the box (or trash can) regarding waste. Now, I am asking you to think inside the box – the cardboard…
This article was originally published in the Teton Valley News on September 5, 2013. It is reposted with permission. To burn or not to burn? That is the question. I remember burning trash on my grandparents’ farms when I was a young child. In those days, burning was the only way for a rural farmer…
This article was originally posted in the Teton Valley News on August 8, 2013. It is reposted with permission. Recycling is relatively new to the residents of Teton Valley, and participation in the program often requires a change in habits. Long-time residents who have lived here since before recycling was available are learning how to…
This article was originally published in Teton Valley News on July 4th, 2013. It is reposted with permission. If there is one thing that I have learned during my time as the director of Teton Valley Community Recycling, it is that people want to recycle plastic. It is easy to see why. Plastic consumption has…
This article was originally published in Teton Valley News June 6th, 2013. It is reposted with permission. Have you ever changed the oil in your car, sprayed for noxious weeds, stained woodwork, or cleaned your house? If the answer is yes, you probably have hazardous waste in your home. Many common household items are considered…
This article was originally published in Teton Valley News on May 2nd, 2013. It is reposted with permission. “Why do I have to take my recyclables to the transfer station, and why do I have to go through the scale house when I only have recyclables?” As the director of the nonprofit organization, Teton Valley…
This article was originally published in Teton Valley News on April 4th, 2013. It is reposted with permission. For the past year, I have entreated readers of this column to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. With spring weather coming out in full force, the impending doom of spring cleaning is getting harder to ignore. In the…
This article was originally published in Teton Valley News on March 7th, 2013. It is reposted with permission. What is zero waste? Fifteen years ago you might not have found an answer to that question. Today, a Google search will yield more than 40 millions results. On February 21st, a crowd gathered in Jackson’s Home…