Organization raises awareness on America Recycles Day

In the spirit of today’s America Recycles Day, the Monroe County Solid Waste Management District and Indiana Recycling Coalition are seeking to raise awareness about recycling and encourage people to boost their environmental efforts. \nMembers of the Monroe County Solid Waste Management District are challenging residents of Monroe County to increase their recycling efforts, and both groups encourage locals to make recycling a part of their lives. Elisa Pokral, the district’s environmental educator, said recycling is easier and less expensive than most people assume and will reduce the future costs of environmental issues.\nRecycling is the easiest way to reduce global warming, Pokral said. \n “It’s incredible how much power people have to make a difference,” she said. \nThere are no events in Bloomington to honor America Recycles Day, Pokral said, but she would like to spend the day thanking everyone who makes an effort to recycle, especially the businesses in the Green Business Network.\nThe Green Business Network is made up of local businesses that pay a small fee in order to have their recyclable items picked up by The Monroe County Solid Waste District, she said. \n“There is amazing support in Bloomington for recycling,” Pokral said. \nMichelle Cohen, executive director of the Indiana Recycling Coalition, said today marks the kickoff for the coalition’s two recycling projects – a cell phone recycling drive and an electronics recycling awareness program. Both of these projects will continue until January. \nThe Indiana Recycling Collation is aiming to start collecting 2,007 old phones to recycle this year, Cohen said. The coalition will send envelopes with prepaid postage to individuals so anyone who wants to recycle old phones properly can send in them to the coalition. \nThe coalition will also provide participating local businesses and organizations with boxes for old cell phone collection, she said. \nCohen hopes that since the project will last until January, people who get new cell phones for the holidays will recycle their old ones. \nCohen also encourages everyone to celebrate America Recycles Day by taking the “Recycling Pledge” on the America Recycles Day Web site. She says this pledge gives people ideas on how to incorporate recycling into their lives. \nPokral said that one day isn’t enough to inform people and get them involved in recycling. She hopes everyone will take the importance of America Recycles Day and live it every day.\n“I hope that recycling becomes a routine for people,” Pokral said.