This article was originally published in Teton Valley News on November 1st, 2012. It is reposted with permission. By now, most people in Teton County know that we can recycle plastic bottles, aluminum and steel cans, cardboard boxes, and glass, and that paper recycling will be up and running soon. Many residents also know that…
DetailsThis article was originally published in Teton Valley News on October 4, 2012. It is reposted with permission. Once upon a time, I left my rural hometown and set out to explore the world. I lived and worked overseas for six years as a student, a teacher, and a research scientist before the economic downturn…
DetailsThis article was originally published on September 6th, 2012. It is reprinted with permission. “Paper or plastic?” In the 80s and 90s, grocers asked shoppers this question, putting the weight of the decision on the shoulders of the consumer. Concerned shoppers questioned which choice was the best for the environment. Today I can answer that…
DetailsThis article was originally published in Teton Valley News on August 2nd, 2012. It is republished with permission. Climate change has been in the news a lot lately. It’s been cited in articles about record breaking temperatures, the wildfires ravaging Colorado and the Southwest, extreme weather events and more. Our hotter than average temperatures are…
DetailsThis article was originally printed in Teton Valley News on July 5, 2012. As a child, I spent Saturday mornings scouring the lawns of student apartments picking up aluminum cans. A local recycler paid me about 5 cents a pound for my treasure, and recycling became my first job. I still work in recycling,…
DetailsThis article was originally published in Teton Valley News on June 7, 2012. “Eat your vegetables – children are starving in China!” We’ve all probably heard, or said, these words at some point in our lives. Perhaps the county where the starving children reside has changed, but the sentiment is the same; we have…
DetailsThis article was originally published in the Teton Valley News May 3, 2012. “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”. In April, I taught these three words to over 350 children in Teton Valley as a part of their schools’ Earth Day activities. Kids get it. They want to recycle. I learned that they also want to do…
DetailsDid you know that Americans create 25% more waste over the holidays? Gift giving is a wonderful tradition, especially when the gifts are chosen with love and are meaningful to the receiver. Wrapping gifts with reused and recycable materials is one way to reduce holiday waste. Teton Valley Community Recycling hosted an eco-wrapping booth at…
DetailsThis article was originally published in Teton Valley News on April 5, 2012. Plastics recycling has arrived in Teton Valley! The Recycling Center at the Transfer Station in Driggs now accepts #1 and #2 plastic bottles, which they will bale and sell to a plastics recycler. Residents and visitors may drop off their recycling…
DetailsI find the idea of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fascinating. I think it can change the way things are made in the first place. Just think, if a company knows that they will be (financially) responsible to provide a take back program or recycling program, how much more responsible they will be in the design…
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