The staff at the New Falcon Herald would like to think that its readers get the most out of their small local paper. They’d like you, first of all, to read it front to back. Cut out and save parts for future reference. Use a few pages to line your birdcage, shred for the hamsters, or wrap that fresh-caught trout. Then take the remainder to a recycling bin.Americans do pretty well recycling newspapers. According to the Newspaper Association of America (www.naa.org), “Over 73 percent of all old newspapers in the United States were recovered and recycled in 2003, representing more than 9 million tons of old newspapers out of a total supply of more than 13 million tons.” Of those 9 million tons, NAA reported that almost 31 percent was made into new newsprint, and the remainder was made into products, such as paperboard, construction paper, tissue and construction materials.Besides newspapers, when Americans think of recycling, they think of aluminum cans. The Web site www.earth911.org reported that Americans recycle more than 50 percent of the aluminum cans they use, saving a tremendous amount of energy. According to the aforementioned Web site, “Making new aluminum cans from used cans takes 95 percent less energy, and 20 recycled cans can be made with the energy needed to produce one can using virgin ore.” Put another way, “Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to keep a 100-watt bulb burning for almost four hours, or run your television for three hours.”Another item that most people do think to recycle is used motor oil. Do-it-yourselfers who change their own oil and take the used stuff to a recycling station may be doing it to get it off their properties, but they’re also adding to America’s energy resources. Used motor oil is reprocessed into fuel that is then burned to provide electricity and heat. “Two gallons of used motor oil can generate enough electricity to power the average home for one day, cook 48 meals in a microwave oven, or watch television for seven and one-half days straight.”Americans are not yet responsibly recycling electronics. Waste from this growing industry has already grown to make up 1 percent of the municipal solid waste stream, and this waste is growing at three times the rate of other types of municipal waste. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Over 20 million computers became obsolete in 1998 and only 13 percent were reused or recycled.” Electronics contain hazardous materials that damage the environment when thrown away irresponsibly.Literally, tons of things are thrown away every day that could be recycled. As good citizens of Planet Earth, or just as users of common sense, recycling everything you can is a good idea. Recycling helps the whole community by cutting down on what goes into the landfill. Sometimes, however, it’s hard to put forth the extra effort to find somewhere to take a recyclable item. It’s much easier to just toss it in the garbage. Recycling isn’t that hard, though, once you know where to go.Recycling in El Paso CountyLocally, Falcon and the Pikes Peak Region have dozens of places to take recyclables of various types. The area also has many concerned citizens who are working to make recycling easier for Falcon residents.Brian Beland of Tri-Lakes Disposal said his company has introduced and is implementing a recycling program in some local schools. The program not only teaches children (and their parents) the value of recycling, but also contributes financially to the schools. Beland has placed recycle bins for newspapers and aluminum cans at Wolford Elementary School and Monument Academy. School children bring items for recycling from home and place them in the bins. When they’re full, Tri-Lakes Disposal picks up the contents, sells to recyclers and returns the proceeds to the school. In two years, the students at Wolford Elementary earned $2,300 to help pay for their new playground. Beland said, “Any school in our pick-up area is welcome to do this.” Beland may be contacted at Tri-Lakes Disposal at 495-8652.Falcon Auto Service Center, located at 14195 Highway 24, takes used motor oil, antifreeze and car batteries. Dave Edmunds said, “We actually use the used motor oil to heat our shop.” If Falcon Auto Service Center is not convenient, most auto parts stores also take items for recycling.Responsible citizens also take used tires to a recycler. Tires that are not recycled responsibly may become a fire hazard, a ground water contaminant, or at the very least, an eyesore. American Tire Exchange in Colorado Springs charges a small fee, beginning at $1, to take used tires. Lonnie Houtchens of American Tire Exchange said they remove and salvage what they can from each tire. Some tires are recapped and put back on the market here or abroad. From others, metals and other materials are removed and recycled, and the remainder is shredded as solid waste.Occasionally, he said, something innovative happens with the shredded tires. Houtchens said a few years ago American Tire Exchange sold 100,000 shredded tires to Pikes Peak International Raceway, where they were used as cores in the cement blocks of the sound barrier. Other states have found creative ways to use shredded tires, but Colorado is slow on the uptake. But Houtchens said it’s not so bad. “If every tire that was taken off cars in America was put into landfills, it would still comprise only one percent of the solid waste stream.”By donating your recyclables to a favorite charity, recyclers do a doubly good thing. Lots of nonprofit organizations raise funds by accepting recyclable items. The Susan B. Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer Awareness takes software, music CD’s, cell phones, surplus office supplies, inkjet and toner cartridges for recycling.Jamie Norris of the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region said the animal welfare organization appreciates donations of old blankets and towels to use for sick or wounded animals. They also accept newspapers to line cages and clean pine wood shavings (no cedar shavings – they’re toxic) for the cages of the smaller animals. They had a trailer in the parking lot for people to donate aluminum beverage cans, which were then sold for proceeds for the animal medical fund. The trailer was stolen (who could stoop so low?) so now donators are piling the cans in the parking lot, which is causing a problem. They could probably use a donation of another trailer, if someone has one of those to “recycle”.If the main goal is to get the garage cleaned out, an excellent place to take recyclables is Recycle America of Colorado Springs located at 602 E. Fourth St. There, for no charge, you can drop off newspapers, cardboard, aluminum beverage cans, tin food cans, glass, junk mail, office paper, phone books, plastic bottles and jugs (numbers 1 and 2 only), and clean carpet pads. For a fee, they take other items including electronics and batteries.The Yellow Pages lists many places to recycle these items and others not mentioned here. Another excellent resource for recyclers is www.colorado-recycles.org.Pick up is scarce out eastThe only company the NFH found that picks up recyclables is Bestway Disposal, and they have customers in some areas of Falcon only. They will pick up some recyclables from their customers. The recyclables must be sorted and placed at the curb in paper or plastic bags and secured so nothing blows away. Terry Buteyn of Bestway said the recyclables are then taken to Recycle America.Other tidbits to recycle:Recycle your organic, non-spoiling kitchen scraps by composting them to enrich the soil in your flower or vegetable garden.Joel Theriault, the new owner of Pack, Ship & More, said they are happy to have and recycle bubble wrap and peanuts, especially. They can also take the thin sheets of foam.SCA Packaging in Colorado Springs takes EPS, also known as expanded polystyrene, for recycling. That’s those big pieces of white Styrofoam that’s molded to fit fragile electronic equipment and fill out the box for shipping. SCA is located at 1100 Garden of the Gods. EPS can be dropped off at the bin in the back.Rampart Recycling, 8335 Snapdragon Drive in Colorado Springs, takes used antifreeze, which is reusable. Mike Miles of Rampart said, “We take all the contaminants out, scrub it to the base and refortify it. The important parts of antifreeze are still there.”Colorado Materials Exchange, http://www-ucsu.colorado.edu/comex/index.asp connects users wishing to exchange computers and electronics.The Used Building Materials Web site, http://build.recycle.net/exchange, allows users to buy or sell used lumber and building products of all types.Western Scrap, 3315 Drennan Industrial Loop South, takes aluminum, copper, stainless steel, brass, lead, scrap metals, scrap cars (no batteries) and precious metals. They take old appliances, too.Those plastic bags that “the other paper” sometimes comes in can be recycled just by collecting them and giving them back to your newspaper carrier. Ask first; some carriers may not want to bother with them.Don’t forget the Black Forest Slash-Mulch Program (www.bfslash.org) which for a donation of a non-perishable food item, will take your dead trees or branches and load your trailer with mulch, useful for gardening purposes.
