Aluminum Recycling Facts

It's hard to believe that a city as populated as New York City has always been, that it took until 1881 before the first sanitation collection agency was formed.  The agency was formed in an effort to clean up the city's littered streets and to stop the general population from disposing of their waste directly into the Atlantic Ocean.  In 1881, the Department of Street Cleaning was formed and the New York City Police Department was no longer responsible for the waste problems.  It is basically the same department today with the exception of a 1933 name change into the Department of Sanitation.

Other than the temporary end of recycling due to World War I in 1918, New York City has kept a steady flow of recycling going for more than a hundred years and at one time ran twenty two incinerators and eighty nine landfills.

Helping the environment with recycling bags

But what should the average American consumer do when those bags start to pile up?  It doesn't take long for the pile to start to form, maybe two or three big trips to the grocery store, and you could end up with 15 or more bags per visit.  What are some of the ways we can keep the build up of plastic bags to a minimum?

A way to cut down on the recycling in the area of shopping is to have a designated bag that can be used over and over again for the groceries.  Totally eliminating the need for the plastic bag is a huge step toward progress when it comes to recycling.  There are companies that sell bags for this purpose and some of them are made from organic materials and even have sayings on them like, "Nothing on me is plastic," and my personal favorite, "I'm not an old bag!"  I love the companies that make bags like these because they can do it with flair.  Some of the recycled bags come in a rainbow of neon colors that are, to say the least, eye catching, as well as reusable!  Canvas totes can be thrown into a washing machine and will serve for many, many trips to pick up bread and milk. 

Outdoor play time

The best place to play is somewhere that you don't need to fly to, take a train to, or drive to.  Yeah, your own backyard is a good place but not everyone is fortunate enough to live near a national park.  There are bike paths to find and trails to hike that can be found all over the place, and can be new journeys of adventure with very little effort.  Check with your town or city hall, they may have little treasures all over your community that you go past everyday and are not aware that there is a walking path tucked in somewhere because you don't take the time to walk in and explore.

If a mode of transportation is needed to arrive at the spot you're headed to, try to use the least pollutant-adding means possible.  Riding a bike is better than driving a car, so depending on the distance that is needed to travel, make the best choices that will not add to the pollutants our air is facing.  If it is a possibility, use mass transportation to get to where you need to go.  A bus or a train is always better than driving, but if you have to drive, be sure to pack as many people into one vehicle as is possible.  You may need to drive, but driving one car is a whole lot better than driving four of them.