To the editor:

As a “reformed” Wal-Mart shopper, I feel compelled to respond to Matthew Brown’s letter to the editor. Mr. Brown sees irony in the supposed ideals that embrace Wal-Mart recycling but hate the store. Well, I used to shop there for the low prices until I noticed that most of what I purchased there was not “Made in the U.S.,” but overseas. And I read about the Wal-Mart buyers who purchase art from American artists and take it overseas to be copied and reproduced – in great quantities.

So how much are your values worth, Mr. Brown? Do you care enough about the size of our local landfill to pay a little for recycling service? Or is the price too high? One could argue that Wal-Mart’s recycling center also is a profitable enterprise. This “Eco-Mart” was the company’s ticket to entry into our little city. And its remodeled recycling center will soon be open again. But my new recycling service has opened my eyes. I don’t pay much, and I save on gas because it is curbside. I am buying local and think I will continue even when our Eco-Mart reappears in larger form.

Bottom line: If you like a “bargain” at any cost, then shop – and recycle – at Wal-Mart. Everything has its cost. The true irony of this story is in how little we think we are paying for our choices.

Marylee Southard,

Lawrence