Trash May Be The Key To A New Year's Resolution

After you've recovered from New Year's Eve and taken the plunge into some icy water to get the New Year started, it may be time to turn your attention to New Year's resolutions.  The News On 6's Rick Wells reports an easy resolution to make and to keep might be to recycle.

Michael Patton is the Director of the Metropolitan Environmental Trust.  He says getting started recycling is as easy as having two trash cans.

"Start with paper.  You can recycle any kind of paper, magazines, newspaper, junk mail.  If it tears it's recyclable," said Patton.

Patton says from there you can move on to other recyclables.

"American's are throwing away 53 million water bottles a day," said Patton.

This year because of the ice storm we will have the opportunity to recycle the downed trees and limbs.

"This year Tulsa will have way more wood chips than they've ever had before," said Patton.

Johnson Park is collecting piles of broken tree limbs. Last year the city chipped 100 tons of wood, this year probably three times that.  Wood chips offer a reuse opportunity for all the wood.

"People go to the home improvement store to buy themselves some wood chips and these are just as good and they are free," said Patton.

Patton says using the sun in the winter by opening blinds to let the sunlight in helps warm the house.  Recycling he says is a simple first step to improving the environment. By recycling less trash is created which may be the best environmental New Year's resolution of all.