Editorial

Editorial

There's no reason why

recycling won't work

If ever there was a community perfect for an experiment in recycling, that community is Rappahannock.

We have a demonstrated commitment to environmental protection and wise use of natural resources.

We have just gone through the trauma and expense of siting and building a new landfill so we have a fresh, appreciation of how important it is to make that landfill last.

We have a local company interested in providing a market for salvaged materials — not just the standard aluminum and newspaper accepted by all recycling companies but also glass, tin cans, cardboard and plastics.

We have a board of supervisors and county administrator who realize that the worth of a recycling program isn’t just in the revenue the county may derive from the sale of the collected materials. They know that the greater value comes in cost avoidance. They know every recycled bottle, can and bundle of newspaper means another few inches of space in the landfill and that much more time before the facility reaches capacity. And so they are more willing than most officials to commit tax dollars to subsidize a recycling program, should that prove necessary during the start-up phase.

And because we are a small county, we have a sense of community that holds promise for greater participation in a , mandatory recycling program.

At present, materials acceptable for recycling must be taken to the county park on Route 211 just outside Washington, from 9-11 a.m. on the third Saturday of the month. Once a center is established at the new landfill, residents will have the option of taking goods there, too. At least, we hope that’s the way the program will work, and we also hope that Nina Stamer, Rappahannock’s litter coordinator, is successful in establishing other satellite stations. Convenience is critical to the success of recycling, and multiple drop-off points will make recycling easier for the people of Rappahannock.

To that same end, this newspaper is asking for ideas on how to organize a household for recycling. We’ll take suggestions on what to use for containers and where to put them, new ways for reusing items in the home (thereby eliminating that trip to the landfill or satellite pick-up station) and tips on composting. And believing that a picture is worth a thousand words, if you have a practical and efficient recycling setup in your kitchen, we’ll come take a photograph and pass the information along visually.

We want to see recycling work in Rappahannock’County. We think there’s no alternative.