 "Photo: Ryan James")
The slump in recycling since the peak of its popularity in the early '90s can be reversed through education and active participation in community recycling programs, said Mary Pat Baldauf, executive director of Keep the Midlands Beautiful.
Baldauf's organization seeks to inform people about the benefits of recycling and motivate them to be aware of small things in their lives that have large consequences.
South Carolinians produce almost twice as much solid waste per person every day (4.4 pounds) as the national average (2.46 pounds), according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Baldauf said she believes part of the problem is that the popularity of recycling in the '90s has worn off due to its loss of novelty.
"I think especially in the early '90s, recycling was new. It was exciting, and everyone was kind of into it, and I think now it's been around for a while. People have kind of started to take it for granted. I think we need to just re-energize people and get them excited about recycling again," Baldauf said. "When you start a new diet or exercise plan, you're gung-ho and really excited, but then you may sort of slack off. I think we just need to get people revved up again."
Baldauf said the key to making recycling a public priority again is to get young people involved.
"If we get to people when they're young, it's a lot easier to help them form good habits than to wait until people are my age and try to change bad habits," Baldauf said. "The young people also really have an influence on grownups in their lives, like their parents."
Baldauf said the problems of over-consumption we face today are different than the problems of her grandparents' generation, like reusing and recycling out of necessity during World War II. The message can be fine-tuned to fit the needs of any generation, she said.
Some often-overlooked details about recycling are that plastic is made from a petroleum derivative and that electronics waste is a huge problem that has not been adequately addressed because of how new it is.
Jane Hiller, the educational director for Paper Stock Dealers, a private recycling company, said that recycling is not only good for the environment, but also the economy and that people should do more to get involved.
Hiller said recycling reduces land, sea and air pollution, creates jobs in the state, conserves natural resources and reduces the volume of material in landfills.
Hiller's company separates, compresses and packages recyclable material into large bails which are purchased by other companies to be made into new products.
Students believe that more students would recycle if they knew where to go.
Tia Milligan, a fifth-year sports management student, said she doesn't know what her recycling options are at Point West.
"I think if there are places to recycle, I don't know where they are. I've been around here for a long time and … if I had things that I could recycle, I wouldn't even know where to take them," Milligan said. "But I would recycle, because I drink a lot of soda, so I have a lot of cans."
Milligan said most people are too busy to make recycling a priority in their lives.
"I think, in general, Americans think about themselves today, and that's really it … and as it is, our world is already being destroyed," Milligan said. "So, if we could just do something that would help out a little, I say 'why not?'"
Both Hiller and Baldauf agree that it's the small things in everyday life that people often take for granted that have the biggest impact.
Baldauf suggests buying compact fluorescent bulbs, shopping for products with less packaging and buying recyclables.
"Small things make a difference. That's what I like to tell people," Baldauf said. "If you just change your behavior in one way and everyone else does it, it can make a big difference."
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