Nov. 15 is America Recycles Day
By Scott Nicholson
nicholson@wataugademocrat.com

Watauga County is observing America Recycles Day by promoting the benefits of recycling.

The county’s new recycling coordinator, Lisa Doty, said no special events are planned for the day, but it’s a great opportunity to promote the resources already in place to boost recycling and tout the benefits of keeping materials out of the solid waste stream.

Doty took the new position a few months ago and has been busy working up school programs, reviewing the county’s recycling program and exploring ways to encourage recycling.

She’s also been busy working with businesses that will soon be required to recycle under state law.

Beginning Jan. 1, businesses with a license to sell alcohol must have mandatory recycling programs in place or they could lose their licenses to sell alcoholic beverages. It’s another area where recycling is getting public attention, and Doty has been actively participating in a local Zero Waste initiative.

She said county residents are active recyclers who try to make good shopping decisions to reduce their waste, but said America Recycles Day is a chance to encourage even more people to participate.

The day falls on Nov. 15 and is part of a national effort started in 1997.

This year’s theme is “It All Comes Back To You.” The slogan represents several messages, Doty said: a recycled product can return to consumers as a new product; recycling reflects back on consumers in the form of an improved environment; and that everyone has a responsibility to recycle to preserve resources and enhance economic well-being.

Watauga County has 10 recycling convenience centers and some items that are not accepted by the county are accepted by private businesses.

Those include rechargeable batteries (Lowes Home Improvement, Radio Shack, Staples); computers and accessories (Staples, Goodwill or manufacturers); cell phones (Staples and most cell phone companies); plastic bags (grocery stores and WalMart); and ink and toner cartridges (Staples).

For more information on local recycling, call Doty at (828) 265-4852.