Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle

As most of you are aware, Summit and our neighboring towns, Chatham, and Madison, have instituted the ban on single use plastic bags. We, here at RRA think and talk about sustainability. We talk to our children about waste and continue to make them aware of our fragile planet. We recycle our film plastic at school through the Trex Bags to Benches program. We drop off our bags at our grocery stores. If we continue to use the "upcycle" philosophy with our children and families and convey this valuable information about "good" behaviors, and, if we model these behaviors, our influences will grow.

A story from my cousin: "I went to Stop n' Shop, picked up shampoo (in a plastic bottle), some detergent (in a plastic bottle), milk ( (in a plastic jug), a loaf of bread (in a plastic bag), a Greek salad (in a plastic container), a bottle of mustard, yep, (in a plastic container)....and I get to check out and they will not give me a plastic bag. Well, cousin of mine, we must start somewhere, and sometimes, small. We have all seen pictures of pelicans with plastic wrapped around their beaks. We all have visited other cities and states where recycling does not exist. Some say it is cost ineffective, yes, too expensive to institute the process. Others are concerned that some other countries are not buying our bundles of plastic.

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So, what do our little efforts do? Our little bit adds up. My mom saved everything, I knew that there wasn't ricotta in that container but, maybe, leftover soup. I am trying to do the same, my friends are trying to do the same. Trying, and trying to reduce, reuse, repurpose, recycle. Continue your stewardship and know that every tiny bit does count.