America’s first recycling day was celebrated Nov. 15, 1997.

America’s first recycling day was celebrated Nov. 15, 1997. In reality, people have been recycling for many years out of necessity.

Recycling is the process of recovering and reusing waste products from household use. During the Depression and followed by World War II, this became a way of life.

Nothing was wasted. Newspapers were saved and used in many ways. In the winter w'e started fires in our wood burning stoves. We learned how to fold and with several cuts with scissors, a line of connecting paper dolls were made. Newspapers were used in thick layers at the door to absorb mud and moisture when it rained or snowed.

My mother would make “lamp lighters”, to save matches. This was a tightly rolled strip of paper that would be crimped on the end, and long enough to keep from burning your fingers. She would fold paper and make a bird for us to play with. I learned later it was call origami, and is a Japanese art of folding.

We did not receive much junk mail at this time, but it was all saved and used as scratch paper, grocery lists, or drawing.

The feed for the animals was bought in 100 pound cotton cloth sacks with large printing on the side. They were washed several times, but because the print was so hard to get out, water would be heated by open fire in a 30 gallon black iron kettle outside. Lye soap was added and they were boiled until the print faded out.

The white material was used for tea towels, pillow cases and bed sheets. The thread which they had been sewn with was unraveled and by tying it together, was rolled into a ball for many later uses. I still save the thread and have a ball today.

Old worn out pots, pans, dish pans and tea kettles were used as flower pots. Some were painted, some were not, but when the different flowers bloomed, they were beautiful.

Almost all our clothes