Response # 4: Earth911.com

The website, Earth911.com, reaches beyond teaching its visitors how to recycle. At the top of the website is a recycling center locator. This is not just a listing of places that recycle items, it’s has a search section that allows visitors to look up exactly what they want to recycle. Additionally, the locator has a convenient feature that povides mapping information, phone numbers, addresses, and even curbside drop off sites.

Beyond the locator, there are many articles discussing environmental topics. These articles have comment sections allowing for more in-depth dialog. Furthermore, there are multiple links to other environmental friendly sites. These sites offer additional information and tips, for instance, organizational fundraiser opportunities involving recycling. Many of the sites visited had the Better Business Bureau stamp of approval on their pages. Earth911.com, and many of its linked sites, can be followed on Facebook and Twitter with weekly newsletters to keep visitors informed about current issues.

Overall, Earth911.com is a website designed to educate and assist those seeking to lower their carbon footprint, and live in a more sustainable lifestyle. With easy to find recycle centers and tips on how to live green, Earth911.com takes the stress out of wasting less. Earth911.com has something to offer both those that are new to recycling and the seasoned veterans as well. I highly recommend visiting and bookmarking Earth911.com.

Research Project Outline: Recycling in America

Thesis – Although recycling in the United States is slowly becoming more popular, there is still work to be done because when compared to most European recycling programs, the US could be doing a lot more for the environment.

(I know my thesis needs work, suggestions would be much appreciated!)

I.   Recycling in the United States
     A. Where it  was
         1. When it began

         2. What caused it to begin
     B. Where it is
          1. What’s changed

          2. Are we doing better?
     C. How far we’ve come
          1. What this says about America

          2. Plans for the future

II.  Recycling elsewhere
     A. When it started

         1. Similarities between this and the US

         2. Differences between this and the US

     B. Other countries that are recycling (statistics)

          1. Doing better than US
          2. Doing worse that US

     C. What are other places doing that the US isn’t?

          1. Practices
          2. Technologies

III. Recycling Culture
      A. Recycling not “accepted” in the US compared to other places

         1. Can’t recycle everywhere

         2. Costs money to recycle

      B. European recycling norm

          1. Bins more accessable
          2. More government help

      C. “Going green” is a new movement in the US

          1. Now in the media (news)
          2. Now in entertainment (movies, tv, etc.)

 

IV. Education
     A. Children

          1. What they learn in school

          2. What they practice in school

     B. Adults

          1. What they learn, and from where
          2. What they actually practice

     C. Sub topic

          1. point
          2. point

V. What you can do
      A. Find out whats available to you

         1. Programs

         2.

      B. Activism

          1. Getting involved locally
          2. Encouraging others to get involved

      C. Anything!

          1. Find something to contribute
          2. What doing the most damage is people doing nothing

Response #4: Terracycle Product Placement

At first glance the Terracycle website really catches your eye with the claim that you send them recyclable trash, and they will turn it into cool stuff for you to use. At this point you become interested and scroll down the page, where you discover that only certain brands of trash are accepted. Under each category of items they are looking for, you will see a brand name that sponsors it. For instance, you will see that Lays sponsors the, “Chip Bag Brigade™”. I find it very interesting that this website talks a lot about how kids can make money for their schools, and get cool toys from recycling, etc.; yet they are clearly advertising products.

Think of it this way; if you tell a child that when he recycles a bag of chips he will raise two cents for his school, and the type of chips on the website is Lays, which bag do you think he’ll choose at the store? Call me paranoid, but I can’t help but speculate that this is a brilliant ploy by major food and drink companies to not only increase their popularity in the public eye, but also increase their sales! Is recycling for cool stuff really worth all of that?

While I do believe that this website doesn’t necessarily have recycling as its main concern, I can admit that regardless of the implications it does do some good. Sure, you can just as easily recycle the normal way and not have to buy a Snicker’s bar to do so, but at least this is getting people interested in the idea of recycling. If this is what must be done for people to see that re-using things is better than just burying them in a landfill, then I suppose there is some inherent good in that.

http://www.terracycle.net/