Framingham Recycles Column: Are You a Recycling Believer?

By Stephen Sarnosky

City of Framingham Recycling Coordinator

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FRAMINGHAM – According to a survey conducted by The Recycling Partnership, 85% of Americans strongly believe in recycling and that 81% of Americans believe that not enough is being done to reduce waste.

The survey concluded a significant majority of Americans increasingly prefer sustainable products and brands and are willing to pay more for these choices. Why do you recycle?

The Recycling Partnership’s survey discovered some interesting facts about the reasons why Americans have come to embrace recycling, and these reasons are echoed by the grade school children I have had the good fortune to educate on the benefits of recycling.

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First, Americans want to ensure that the world remains habitable for themselves and for future generations.

Secondly, would be to increase and maintain our standard of living through recycling.

Third would be to hold on to the earth’s natural resources.

Coming up fourth is to continue to reduce carbon emissions when and where possible.

And lastly is the reduction of refuse ending up in landfills.

As a side note, ash disposal sites and landfills will be closing here in Massachusetts over the coming years.

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The question remains; how and where will our refuse be disposed of. The Recycling Partnership’s survey indicated that 80% of those people surveyed would be willing to pay extra for sustainable products. There’s a big push to make more and more products sustainable in the United States.

The question for you is; are you willing to pay up front for sustainable goods or pay on the back end for increased disposal fees and decreasing landscapes? Is this a damned if you do or damn if you don’t proposition? I think sustainability is the path to the future.

If you believe as I just indicated, and for those who want to direct their dollars to more sustainable options, each time you pick up or click on a product for purchase, ask yourself these questions:

A) Is this product reusable, recyclable, or compostable in your working or living location?

B) Is this product made from recycled content and can it be recycled?

C) Do I know how to make sure this product is being recycled or in some cases if it’s being composted?

Stephen Sarnosky is the Recycling Coordinator for the City of Framingham. He has been writing the Framingham Recycles columns for SOURCE media since spring of 2019.

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