Learnin' from the Germans about recycling
Sydney Elliot
Issue date: 6/4/08 Section: Opinion
Think green. That is what nearly everyone is focused on these days. Recycling is a big deal overseas, but here in the United States it doesn't seem so important. Would people be more inclined to practice what they preach if they were threatened with jail time for not being green?
Admittedly, I do not recycle much either, though I wish I did. Just yesterday I was on my way to campus when I noticed blue recycling bins sitting outside someone's house. I wished I had one at home, and began to wonder where I could get one. I then looked it up and found I could have one delivered to my house, free of charge.
On my recent visit to Germany to see a friend, I learned that people can actually get thrown in jail for not recycling there. I thought that was a pretty good incentive to do good and go green. But the moment I got off the plane I could tell the differences between there and here. It was much cleaner in Germany, the air was much crisper, and there was little to no trash on the sidewalks.
Everywhere we went it was like this. I couldn't get over how extremely beautiful it was. Even the clouds appeared cleaner. It could have just been me - a stupid young American in a foreign country - but it struck a chord in me, too. I could not help but wish we were more like the Germans in this aspect of our lives. "Be the change you want to see in the world," as Gandhi would say.
So finding ways to recycle at home is a good start on my part, right? All it takes is a phone call to get a recycling bin delivered to your house, free of charge. I think this is an easy way to get people to recycle, but how do we get people to make the phone call? What will it take to get everyone else in America to start practicing green, instead of just thinking about it?
I am not suggesting we start throwing people in jail if they do not recycle. I just hope before it is too late, we all start practicing what we preach.
Admittedly, I do not recycle much either, though I wish I did. Just yesterday I was on my way to campus when I noticed blue recycling bins sitting outside someone's house. I wished I had one at home, and began to wonder where I could get one. I then looked it up and found I could have one delivered to my house, free of charge.
On my recent visit to Germany to see a friend, I learned that people can actually get thrown in jail for not recycling there. I thought that was a pretty good incentive to do good and go green. But the moment I got off the plane I could tell the differences between there and here. It was much cleaner in Germany, the air was much crisper, and there was little to no trash on the sidewalks.
Everywhere we went it was like this. I couldn't get over how extremely beautiful it was. Even the clouds appeared cleaner. It could have just been me - a stupid young American in a foreign country - but it struck a chord in me, too. I could not help but wish we were more like the Germans in this aspect of our lives. "Be the change you want to see in the world," as Gandhi would say.
So finding ways to recycle at home is a good start on my part, right? All it takes is a phone call to get a recycling bin delivered to your house, free of charge. I think this is an easy way to get people to recycle, but how do we get people to make the phone call? What will it take to get everyone else in America to start practicing green, instead of just thinking about it?
I am not suggesting we start throwing people in jail if they do not recycle. I just hope before it is too late, we all start practicing what we preach.
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