Building a recycling plan ...

The new Pickens County Recycling implementation isn't taking into account home recycling efforts nor is it creatively encouraging proper recycling.

Most people think that recycling is just setting out cans, glass, and plastic on the street. It's much more than that. To put it plainly - it's putting less in the garbage as often as you do.

7 Ways you can recycle without even knowing it:

• If you have children or regularly write down notes or do your own doodling, pay attention to junk mail or unused portions of paper - cut them out and reuse the leftovers.

• I don't know about you ... but I get little thin plastic packaging a lot ... such as the plastic trays that jelly beans and candy come in. These can be reused in lots of ways. You can use them to hold paints, screws, and even food. My son LOVES to have his food on a "special tray" - putting each food in a separate space. This will save a paper plate or two and washing dishes. Think of small things like this that can be reused at least once.

• Shred junk mail or unused paper and reuse it as packing material or even insulation. Yeah, insulation. Consider compacting and bagging up shredded paper and placing it in your attic or above a barn. At first this sounds silly, but once I saw it - it made sense. If you ever have a friend, relative, or neighbor to move - offer them some packing material you have stored.

• Composting. This may require a desire to have a garden, BUT composting can also benefit you if you have houseplants or even around the house bushes and flowers. I save about 15 pounds a week from going into our garbage by doing this.

• Newspapers - most newspapers (the actual "news sections" - not ad/sales inserts) have biodegradable organically soluble ink. This means they are perfect as weed barriers. Weeds depend on light to grow. When planting this spring, pull any old mulch from around your house or flower beds and lay down a two or three layer thick spread of newspaper - getting it as close to the base of bushes, plants, and flowers as possible.

• If you live outside the city limits and you are able to burn your trash, do so. The ash makes great fertilizer. It also makes a terrific cement stretching agent. You can add two cups of ash to every ten pounds of cement to make it go further. It doesn't weaken or discolor the cement. This is particularly useful when building a retaining wall with rocks.

• Stop throwing away what can be reused. Really. Stop. If you throw out a perfectly good microwave or a perfectly good TV - you are being irresponsible.

Two Thrift Stores in Liberty that help two very worthwhile charities exist:

Hospice Of The Upstate (next Palmetto Pawn)

303 Anderson Drive
Liberty, SC 29657

Wilderness Way Girls Camp Thrift Store (next to Freds)

315 West Front Street
Liberty, SC 29657

If you don't want to lug it a few miles in your car - there are online alternatives like:

FreeCycle - advertising your item for free to locals. They pick up.

Craigslist - advertise (FREE) to Upstate SC residents. You can charge or offer items or services for free or trade.

Who knows, you could even make a dollar or two on your stuff.

Also ... try to communicate with neighbors and friends that may have a need for your "leftovers".

Many pet owners can use newspapers for cage linings. Many artists can use newspaper for paper-mâché.

The smallest of gardeners can use your leaves.

Some other considerations:

• Buying a wood chipper to grind up small branches
• Finding someone who lists on eBay to recycle boxes & packing materials.
• People such as myself will pick up packaging that computers come in.
• Talk to the school or your church about leftover materials that might be used.

What are some of your ideas for recycling?