Recycling

Litter, litter, everywhere and nary a piece gets recycled. Why? It seems pretty simple to put litter back into the recycling loop and that's just what the Nicodemus Wilderness Project does after a cleanup. The majority of the litter that we collect during our trail cleanups is recyclable. There are lots of glass bottles, paper products, plastics, and aluminum cans littering our wild lands and waters. Removing this litter from the shoreline, mountains, and other wilderness areas prevents wildlife injury and restores the natural beauty of our environment. Recycling this litter elevates the effort an extra step by ensuring this trash stays out of the landfill for the next round. At the Nicodemus Wilderness Project we've even reused some of this litter to make jewelry and other items. Remember and live by the phrase: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

In an effort to reduce litter throughout the American West, we've also been in contact with staff from the Container Recycling Institute. Recent efforts to pass a Beverage Container Deposit Act (i.e., bottle recycling bill) have been unsuccessful in New Mexico and other states in the West but we plan to gather a coalition of volunteers and environmental groups that support recycling efforts so that State Legislatures may reconsider this issue in the future. If you would like to see less litter in your favorite wilderness area, support organizations like the Container Recycling Institute and contact your congressional representatives to let them know that you support this important recycling and litter control measure.

We are part of the problem but can become part of the solution. Humans generate a staggering amount of trash everyday. Disposable products are some of the prime culprits and can be easily avoided in favor of products that require less or no packaging. The packaging of products is what ends up on the beach, in the mountain stream, and underneath the aspen grove. These bottles, cans, wrappers etc. spoil the outdoor experience for people and often pose health and safety risks for wildlife. Its important to keep this litter out of our wilderness areas but equally important to reduce our dependence on these packages. Remember, its 1) Reduce, 2) Reuse, and 3) Recycle (in that order)! Help make our earth a cleaner and more beautiful place by living by the three R's.