Green living: We’ve been at it for more than 25 years


For more than 25 years, the Keep Fremont Beautiful Committee has been educating the public on “Going Green.” We’ve encouraged our citizens to look at the waste materials they produce and the products they consume — and then determine ways to recycle, reduce and reuse.

Recycling is very important in managing the waste we create. We at Keep Fremont Beautiful feel that if a waste material can be recycled and made into a new product, then it should never be landfilled. Recycling as much of your waste as possible is good for the environment. Recycling conserves energy, conserves valuable resources and conserves landfill space. If you are serious about “Going Green,” recycling should be a priority at home and at work.

Compared to Fremont 1983, Fremont 2008 has many more recycling opportunities. Waste Connections provides two convenient Fremont locations for the collection of recyclables. The main recycling facility is located just east of Weichman Pig Company at 1200 Hamilton St.

You may bring your telephone books, magazines, newspaper, office paper, plastic, tin, aluminum and cardboard to the Waste Connections Recycling Facility — free of charge. You simply place the waste material in the properly marked container and it will be sent to a manufacturer and made into new products.

Waste Connections also provides collection bins at the Hy-Vee store located at 840 E. 23rd St. This site is not large enough to handle your cardboard. If you have some boxes to recycle, you will have to take it to the main facility.

Cardboard, office paper and newspaper make up a large part of the waste stream. If every householder and business were to collect and recycle these paper items, it would drastically reduce the amount of waste going to the landfill.

For businesses, it makes economic sense to recycle. Especially if you have a large amount of cardboard or paper. Rather than contracting with a trash hauler to dispose of your paper waste at the landfill, you can assign an employee to take your cardboard and paper to the recycling facility. You are not charged for bringing your paper waste to the recycling facility — this will reduce hauling fees.

“Going Green” also means reducing the amount of waste you create in the first place. If you don’t make the waste, then you don’t have to deal with it.

Reducing your waste takes some thinking on your part. When you go to the store, you need to look at the packaging. Try to find those products that utilize minimum packaging. Buying in bulk reduces the need for individual packaging containers and reduces your waste.

Try to get away from the “disposable” habit at home and at work. Use a ceramic mug instead of a Styrofoam cup for your coffee. Take a canvas shopping bag to the store. Using the canvas bag over and over again reduces the amount of plastic bags that you use once and then throw away.

“Reuse” makes sure that you use an item as much as possible before recycling or discarding. I reuse margarine tubs for leftovers. At our house, Zip Lock bags are reused, for cleaning up the doggy litter in the yard. Yeah — that’s the last “re-use” for that baggy.

Another disposal problem is electronics. At homes and businesses throughout Fremont, there are old computers and electronic wastes sitting in the basement or storage rooms. Luckily it’s becoming easier to “Go Green” in disposing of those unwanted items. Staples in Fremont will recycle your computer monitor and tower for a $10 charge. Staples accepts smaller electronics for recycling, at no charge, call Staples for complete information on their collection and recycling program.

If you have a number of computer components that need to be recycled, you may want to contact “Guaranteed Recycling Xperts” (GRX). Check out www.grxrecycles.com for more information on recycling your electronic waste.

Recycling your discards, reducing the amount of waste you create and reusing as much as possible, are the first steps in creating a “Greener” home or business. Each of us shares the responsibility of proper disposal and also the best use of our resources. Call Keep Fremont Beautiful at 727-2808 or check out our website at http://www.fremontne.gov/kfb for more information on living a “Greener” lifestyle.

Sue Reyzlik is executive director of Keep Fremont Beautiful. Contact her at (402) 727-2808 .