Curbside recycling essential for Yuma

I saw the recent news reports about people who don't want to recycle and someone who wants the city of Yuma to use prisoners to sort through recycling. Recycling is imperative! I am not “a tree hugger.” For me it is purely about economics. I am a businesswoman who thinks about the long-term benefits in principal, in reality and for the reputation of a community that I love.

Curbside recycling is an absolute must in Yuma. I am always embarrassed to tell my clients and customers that the city of Yuma doesn't recycle, especially my clients who relocate here. For almost every other town, it seems, recycling is absolute and essential.

As a parent, I have taught my children reduce-reuse-recycle, keep it cleaner than you found it, pack out more than what you pack in, etc. What kind of example are we for our children and grandchildren that we don't have a curbside recycling program?

A proposal for the city using prisoners to sort the recycling is preposterous. The idea of prisoners working for 50 cents an hour manually sorting through our recycling in concept sounds ideal but in reality is that safe? I wouldn't want a prisoner going through my recyclables. What if I slip up and accidentally throw out what I think is junk mail and it turns out my updated credit card is in there (yes, folks, I am speaking from experience). I shred everything at work, but at home, like many people, I don't always shred.

Maybe I am being cynical, but wouldn't having access to certain items that end up in recycling be dangerous in the hands of a prison convict? Some might say I am being silly, but the idea of a prisoner checking out my recycling creeps me out. It isn't just that, though. Maybe I have watched too many movies, but if a prisoner can make a “shiv” out of a toothbrush, imagine what they could do with recyclables. We live in such a litigious society, I predict lawsuits aplenty over using prisoners.

I have seen many comments on the controversial program for curbside recycling. All I can say is keep an open mind and research it. The times are changing. People all over the country and the world are now recycling with gusto. In the 1990s when recycling first became a hot-button issue, people were not educated and we were all lazy. We had never had to recycle before, but now recycling is the national standard.

The city doesn't seem to have any intention of charging more for curbside recycling, so I implore people to let the city know that we can be good boys and girls. I don't want to hear any baloney about “you can't teach an old dog new tricks” either. My husband's grandmother has the most organized recycling system at her house that I have ever seen. I am inspired by her desire to make a change, however small it may seem to some, and I know that everyone can learn how to be put their recycling in a container. It is not that difficult.

We have a recycling trash can and a regular trash can — we love it. Oh and by the way, having a recycling bin, which we fill up weekly, saved us money when we went to one trash pickup per week and one recycling pickup with our trash service at Allied Waste. Every dollar counts and every ton that is recycled counts, too. Please, Yumans, consider that change is good. Recycle!

Michelle Evans

Yuma