The Nagging Isn't Helping

During my peaks of recycling enforcement, I can be found on the bus toting a garbage bag of recycling I have collected or lecturing my mom about her burn pile. I'll be honest with you, I tend to get a little dramatic and just a tiny bit carried away.

During the climax of these peaks, I feel anxious and frustrated. The answer to our problems seem so obvious to me, but I just don't feel like I'm getting through to people. I've heard everything from "it's too complicated" to "I don't have the space". Space? Complicated? Recycling doesn't mean 'more'. In fact, everything I have read about it leads us to believe that it is the number one cause in 'LESS'. Less destruction of raw material. Less in the landfill. Less in the atmosphere. Less in our rivers.

Needless to say, I'm peaking. So I take a deep breath and meditate on some of life's big lessons that I am learning. Mainly, that everyone doesn't have to agree with me, not everyone shares in my passions, and that, regardless of whether or not they choose to recycle, there's nothing stopping me from recycling for them. When I go to my mom's for the weekend, I bring home her recyclables. During my work week, I scour the garbages for milk jugs and large cans. Filling a bag five days a week, I carry it home on the bus.

PS. I watched my 18-month old daughter throw a scrap of paper into our big yellow recycling bag last week.