LETTER: Sending out an SOS on Trash

Submitted by Sally Davies, Chair, Greenwich Recycling Advisory Board

Once again, Earth Day is here, an annual reminder for us to consider how our actions impact this fragile planet that we call home.   It is incumbent on each one of us to wonder why we are throwing so much away.  Remember, there is no place called “away”! 

Connecticut is currently facing a serious waste crisis.  Trash is piling up.   With the closure of the Hartford trash-to-energy plant, more than 35% of our garbage is now being sent to incinerators and landfills out of state.  This is not the answer, neither fiscally nor environmentally.  And especially not long-term.  

What is needed is a concerted effort to minimize the amount of waste we produce.  This means being ever vigilant about what we buy in the first place and how much of it will need to be discarded.  

If we accept the 6R challenge to Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair and Rot, we can make a huge dent in that trash pile and, at the same time, conserve the precious natural resources our good Earth has provided.

Let’s pledge to reduce waste and make every day Earth Day.

Sally Davies

Chair, Greenwich Recycling Advisory Board