The disposable diaper myth

Whole Earth Review, Fall, 1988 by Carl Lehrburger, Rachel Snyder

The containers increase collection efficiency, lessen pickup lifter, ond reduce the amount of unwanted refuse mixed in. The brightly colored stacks of containters out by the curbside each week serve as unbeatable advertising for the program, and are self-educating. Moreover they exert clear peer pressure on neighbors to get with it and join in. The idea of recycling hos been recycling through comm unities for decades. Now the economics are beginning to make it mandatory for the many towns running out of landfill. Beside Me reduction of landfill fees, there is the not-insignificant money generoted by the gathered materials. For example, revenues generated from the sale of newspaper, bottles and cans collected during the monthi of December in the Son Jose curbside program was $224,000. The costs of pickup will vary with locotion. The cost of containers for a town of 30,000 would be only $150,000.

Curbside recycling containers work. The program runs on the only two axioms thatevery effective recycling program has succeeded on: educate the public, and make it convenient for them. Have your town check out the other towns engaged in this citizen do- gooding.