Recycling turns habit for many

On Earth Day 2008, it's clear recycling is a daily commitment of many readers.

Take for instance Carolyn Dalbow of Kingfisher. She provided estimates of the recycling efforts of her family through the last 36 years.

In that span, Dalbow said her family has recycled about 8,600 pounds of paper, 17,000 pounds of glass and 4,500 pounds of aluminum. Narrow that to about the last 15 years, and she estimates they have gathered about 2,100 pounds of plastic to be recycled.

"Today, I store recyclables in containers, some of which we transport 25 miles to a recycling center,” she wrote. "This might sound obsessive to some; to me it is a way of being a good steward of the Earth. Imagine what effect there would be on our economy if even half of individuals followed suit! To all companies who implement recycling programs, I say ‘Fantastic!'”

Cherrie Zaidi said recycling is a habit in her family; once it becomes a part of your day, it's not difficult or even a pain. Zaidi wrote that her family separates the different materials in order to make recycling day more manageable.

When that day comes, they drop the items off at their community event in Piedmont on the first Saturday of each month.

"Any time I see someone putting a recyclable item in the trash, I ask them why they cannot collect that and like items and participate in the city of Piedmont's recycling program?” she wrote. "I teach my children daily that this is our Earth and we do not get a new one when it goes bad.”