Change the World Wednesday - on Tuesday again

This week's Change the World Wednesday was all about recycling.
This week, find someone that doesn't recycle and help them get started. Perhaps a friend or neighbor doesn't know how ... so teach them. Maybe a family member doesn't know where to start ... so show them how easy is it to set something up. Look outside of your home and help someone else begin a recycling program.


I failed with this one.  Most people I know already recycle, at least those I'm in constant contact with.  I didn't really have anybody who doesn't recycle that I could try and explain why they should. Most people around me who don't recycle have already heard this speech from me. 


 I did happen to notice one of my co-workers threw a cereal box in a normal trashcan and I pulled it out and said that it should be recycled.  He said it still had some cereal in it.  So pulled out the plastic bag with the cereal, put that in the trashcan, and put the cereal box in the recycle container (luckily our work allows us to put any recyclable container in the recycle bins and not just paper).  I made a comment along the lines of "That's how you take care of that." and smiled.  He just rolled his eyes.  


This morning I saw Husband take a new container of body wash out of the closet before his shower.  When I walked back into the bathroom I didn't see the old container and asked where it was.  He pointed to the trashcan.  I did the wife thing and put my hands on my hips, gave him a dirty look, and said "You know that's not where it goes!" He just continued to shower.  I took it out of the trashcan and rinsed it out.   I should tell you that this is a normal occurrence in our household.  As much as I try to convince the Husband to recycle, he plays ignorant and says he doesn't know what can be recycled.  This usually means that when he makes dinner he just puts all the trash on the counter top for me to either put in the trash can or the recycle can.  I comment that he's being lazy, he just shrugs.   You can probably imagine, and I'll admit it to all on here, that I'm often going through the trash at our house and taking things out so I can recycle them.   A girl has to do what a girl has to do.


My Grandma is the most fun though.   My Grandparents didn't recycle at all but a couple of years ago St. Louis County provided all St. Louis County residents with recycle bins on wheels (along the lines of a normal trash can).  Some of these are huge and some are smaller and a good size.  They sent out a notice before they did this so that each household could mark what size they wanted and send it back. I selected the smaller size.  Those who didn't send it back because they didn't want one, automatically got the larger size. haha!    So my Grandparents had no excuse not to recycle.  Every time I'm at their house I end up pulling things out of the trash and taking it outside to their recycle game.  I'll educate my Grandma as well, by saying things like "Oh, did you know you can recycle this?" or "Grandma!  Why didn't you recycle this?!" while I shake the item.  Grandma usually swats me. haha!  However she's getting much better. Most of the time when I go over there she'll show me something on the counter and wave it at me and ask if I'm proud of her that she is going to recycle it.   


While this past week I might have failed, it is something that comes up a lot when I'm around and I do try to educate people, the problem is that those who don't are being stubborn about it. Hopefully they will soon wise up and realize how important it is.