Not a Throwaway Holiday: Celebrate National Recycling Day with These Legible Reads
by Tania Runyan
One of my favorite childhood memories is collecting cans with my mom at various parks while my dad hobnobbed with his model boat club. As he set his tugboat in the pond, ducks flapping away as “Aquaholic,” or whatever he named it, cut through the water toward her dinghy buddies, my mom and I would pick various Coke and Fresca cans out of the trash, tossing them in huge plastic bags (yep, irony alert). We didn’t view our hobby as a gross, desperate task, but as an adventure. Would we beat last weekend’s record of 127 cans? Would we find at least one representative from every Shasta flavor? During the week, we would drive our treasures out to the recycling center, collect our $7, and talk about what we were going to do with our “fun money.”
I hadn’t heard the term “climate change” in the 80s, but even then, recycling felt like the responsible thing to do. While the need to conserve resources feels more urgent today, that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the process of living sustainably with pluck and imagination. These Legible reads, which you can enjoy on a browser-based device you already own (read: no waste!), will inspire you to develop new habits to promote the planet’s health and happiness.
Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage, Heather Rogers. Even if you’re already an avid recycler, it helps to understand the root of our world’s problem with waste. On this “grisly and fascinating tour through the underworld of garbage,” journalist and filmmaker Heather Rogers examines how rubbish is produced, exported, and “stored,” if you can call it that, as our planet continues to increase its waste at a rate that requires our urgent intervention.
Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too, Beth Terry. It’s almost impossible to get through an hour, let alone the whole day, without encountering mounds of plastic. From our kids’ toys to our food packaging, vehicles, toiletries, appliances, and just about every other imaginable item in our home, plastic rears its wasteful head. However, it is possible to reduce your plastic footprint with these tips, strategies, and profiles about Plastic-Free Heroes who have found a way to make a difference before even needing the recycling bin.
Composting, Bob Flowerdew. Your most valuable recycling opportunity is quite literally in your kitchen sink. Save those coffee grounds and carrot peels from the trash can or garbage disposal by turning them into the “black gold” of compost! This comprehensive guide will show you how to build and maintain a composting system that will help you grow beautiful plants and nutrient-rich foods that are good for the planet. Talk about a win-win!
Just for Kids
The Everything Kids’ Environment Book, Sheri Amsel. The documentary The Story of Plastic drove home a simple point I will never forget: there is no “away” when you throw trash away, especially when it comes to plastic. This kid-friendly guide to sustainable living helps children understand the larger picture of how our actions impact the planet while providing plenty of fun, hands-on ideas for making smart environmental choices.
