Waste Not! Carroll

From the Carroll County Times, August 19, 2010

By Melissa Prosperie

The proposed incinerator puts Carroll County headed in the wrong direction when it comes to dealing with our trash.

People are becoming more aware that there are other options than to bury it or burn it. Recycling and backyard composting are increasing. People are making smarter choices with their purchases, using less disposable items, looking for products made from recycled or sustainable materials and buying less overall. Companies are paying attention and using less packaging some of which is compostable.

People are turning to used items by shopping secondhand stores and using sites like Free-cycle. The attitude toward our waste is changing. We are creating less and finding new cheaper and more environmentally friendly ways to deal with trash. Why do we need to build an expensive and oversized incinerator?

Carroll County has a long and cherished agricultural history where families have respected and protected the land, not polluted its air with toxic emissions and its land with toxic ash. Shouldn't we be pursuing options that are better for the environment and our wallets?

Even my 3 year old son will ask "Mom, can we recycle this? Or compost it?" Times are changing, and it's a shame that Carroll County is pursuing an outdated way of handling its waste. We can do so much better.

Melissa Prosperie

Westminster