What goes around comes around
By Kevin Schnepp Staff writer

The old adage "you reap what you sow" is as true today as when it was first uttered. In other words, we are responsible for what we do and say. That proverb is especially true for those who live in a community where so much opportunity exists.

Many in the community take action to cope with the overabundance of recyclable materials commonly referred to as "waste" that end up in landfills. While some throw all types of waste away, others find creative and beneficial ways to use it. Local efforts make a difference

Delphi Lions Club has been recycling for many years.

Speaking at a Lions Club International seminar in 1929, author Helen Keller challenged members of the organization to be 'Knights of the Blind.' Keller spoke on behalf of the then four year-old American Foundation for the Blind when she told Lions members "opportunity is a capricious lady" and if they did not respond to the knocking on their door, she would not knock again. The club created an eyeglass recycling program in response to her call to action.

Nearly 80 years later, Indiana Lions clubs receive approximately 30,000 pairs per month, tops among all states.

Loads of good John Turner of Carroll Communities Recycling Cooperative (CCRC) is shown compacting currogated boxes in Delphi. The cooperative handles curbside and business recycling weekly in Delphi, Flora and Burlington. Turner estimated he picks up 30 to 40 percent more recyclable material than when he joined CCRC in 2003. "The amount being recycled locally is rising," he said. "That's a very good thing to see." Comet photo by Kevin Schnepp

Those who wish to donate used eyeglasses can contact a Delphi Lions Club member or leave the eyeglasses at one of several Delphi locations including Norman Eye Care, Abbott Funeral Home, Delphi First Presbyterian Church, Delphi Hardware or Blimpie's Restaurant. Call Penn at (765) 564- 3707 for more information.

Lion Bill Penn said club members were inspired again at an environmental seminar 15 years ago where they were told too much recyclable waste was going into landfills. Penn said he decided to begin an aluminum can and steel recycling program. Today the club donates approximately $400 yearly to Toys for Tots for the Carroll County Area, part of Christmas Baskets Inc., from money collected from recycling.

He explained the program is simply one way the club tries to bolster its community.

"Ingenuity, community and environment, those are what matter," he concluded.

Crafty awareness

Delphi Public Library held a recycled art competition in October. Local residents were invited to create artistic pieces from discarded reusable items they retrieved.

Librarian Sara Daly-Brosman said $300 was donated to Habitat for Humanity from a silent auction of the pieces. Another competition tentatively planned for April would coincide with Earth Day 2008. Local governments aid recycling

The City of Delphi began its curbside recycling program in the early 1990s shortly after the formation of the Northwest Solid Waste District. A goal of the NWSWD was to reduce the volume of waste at the state level according to then street commissioner Randy Strasser. He said recycling efforts in Delphi and the surrounding areas have grown, adjusted and remained strong.

"When I was street commissioner, we set recycling goals and put our plans into action," Strasser told the Comet Monday. "City leaders have kept up well with it through the years."

He explained waste districts helped reduce drastically the amount of recyclable waste heading to landfills, but more can be done.

"We set goals and pursued them before," he said. "As population and production increase, we need to continue to do so."

Delphi's recyclable waste is picked up by Carroll Communities Recycling Cooperative (CCRC), a co-op sponsored by NWSWD supported by grants and the local tax base. In the recycling business since the late 1990s, CCRC also provides information and encourages county residents to recycle.

Flora Clerk-Treasurer Joretta Tinsman, a member of CCRC, said Tuesday that recycling is becoming more important to residents, especially younger individuals who move to the area.

"Younger individuals who move to the area tend to recycle and inquire about services more than older residents," Tinsman said. "I think younger people recycle more because they have been more educated about the environmental impact of their actions. They envision their children's futures and want to do what they can to protect them."

She said local schools are teaching more about the concept and that younger people in general seem to be aware of the need.

"I remember a mother who came in to get a recycling bin because her school-age son told her she needed to be recycling," she said. "The schools teach it and younger poeple are realizing its importance."

Tinsman explained county residents who do not have their waste picked up can do so any time at the county dropoff site just north of the railroad tracks on N. Washington St. in Delphi. CCRC picks up recyclable waste from Delphi, Flora and Burlington businesses each Tuesday. Residential pickups are Wednesdays in Flora and Burlington and Thursday and Friday in Delphi. The cooperative also picks up in Camden the second and fourth Saturdays of each month.

America Recycles Day, sponsored by the National Recycling Coalition, is Nov. 15. The day is designed to promote awareness and action concerning the need to recycle for the sake of the environment. More can be discovered about the event at www.nrc-recycle. org.

Tinsman said such events are helpful in raising awareness, but the concept needs to become a daily matter to citizens. She said she finds that to be the case for her.

"I am a recycler," she explained. "I talk people into it all the time. Every day is recycling day to me."

Those who wish to donate used eyeglasses can contact a Delphi Lions Club member or leave the eyeglasses at one of several Delphi locations including Norman Eye Care, Abbott Funeral Home, Delphi First Presbyterian Church, Delphi Hardware or Blimpie's Restaurant. Call Penn at (765) 564-3707 for more information.