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
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merrill (anonymous) says…
The 12& Haskell Bargain Center (1146 Haskell Street; 785-865-3730) does buy back tin and aluminum andother metals. The Haskell Bargain Center also accepts other recyclables, like Walmart, please see:
http://www.lawrencerecycles.org/resid...
Lonnie's Recycling (501 Maple, 785-841-4855 or 1-800-217-4855) also buys back metals from recyclers.
The curbside recycling companies in town provide acollection service for a reasonable fee. Please call or visit their
websites to compare prices:
Jeff's Curbside Recycling
call 785-841-1284
Community Living Opportunities(also staffs the Wal-Mart recycling center)
call 785-865-5520 ext. 379
Home Recycling Service
call 785-979-6633
Tree Hugger Recycling
call 785-550-6267 or visit treehuggerrecycling.com
Sunflower Curbside Recycling
call 785-550-8610 or visit kansasrecycles.com
The proposed cost to residents for the City of Lawrence curbside pick-up is comparable to what is offered above. If the city introduced a service the above enterprising indiviuals would then be out of a job. At least with the private individuals there is a choice of plans which the city could likely not offer. Let's keep these people employed.
In general, recycling costs money. This is because the value of materials collected for recycling is typically not great enough to offset the costs of collection, processing, storage, and transportation to markets. Curbside recycling is a much more expensive form of recycling than drop-off recycling programs. Targeting higher value materials, such as paper, cardboard, and aluminum, results in a lower net cost than programs which collect glass, plastic, and tin cans because the latter materials have a low value, are expensive to collect, and typically havefaraway markets (from Kansas) which makes transportation expensive. Paper collected through the City-provided drop boxes for newspaper and cardboard are recycled through Linn Paper Company (OK) and Central Fibers (KS). Newspaper is recycled into shredded and used as blown insulation within the construction industry. Cardboard is recycled into more Cardboard packaging. Office waste paper collected from businesses is shipped through Linn Paper Company and is recycled into a variety of paper products.
For more information about recycling opportunities, hazardous waste disposal, please visit the City's Waste Reduction and Recycling website at www.LawrenceRecycles.org