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Sunday, Aug. 30, 2009

Everyone can walk the green talk

By Ginger Wireman, Mid-Columbia Voices

The Tri-City Herald editorial, "Green consciousness boon to economic development," noted that if Mid-Columbia residents are going to be touting our green jobs and clean energy, we need to start "walking the talk" and behave more sustainably.

The Herald editorial board specifically pointed out that our communities are way behind the times on recycling. It said, "We all need to walk the walk if we're going to talk the green talk."

And further, "The time is right to brand the Tri-Cities as green-friendly ... make our area more marketable to green industry… (and) put programs into place that put a greener light on our region."

The Confluence Community Action Network, CCAN (see-can), is ready to help the community go green and meet the Herald's challenge.

CCAN is a nonprofit group that promotes sustainability education and action. CCAN arose from the e3 Washington - Environment Education and Economy process in 2008. The 150 business people, educators, community organizers and elected officials who participated in the local e3 process identified numerous goals for creating a more sustainable community.

CCAN works with businesses, organizations, individuals and schools to increase participation in and access to recycling, to support and expand community gardens and access to healthy, locally grown food and to teach people how to use our shared resources wisely.

As such, when Lamb Weston invited CCAN to help with recycling at the Columbia Cup, our answer was an enthusiastic "Yes!"

Lamb Weston has been responsible for recycling during the Water Follies since 2007 - one of the company's many sustainability efforts, from field, to plant, to customers.

That year, they placed 30 containers and collected 700 pounds of recyclables. This year, Lamb Weston volunteers placed and maintained 70 Clear Stream recycling bins throughout the Columbia Cup general viewing areas.

CCAN volunteers helped by alerting people to the recycling bins, thanking people we "caught" recycling and deterring people from "accidentally" putting garbage in the recycling bins.

In the end, recycling at the Lamb Weston Columbia Cup was pretty impressive. Through Lamb Weston's efforts, more than a half-ton, including 235 pounds of aluminum, 1,125 pounds of plastic, and 110 pounds of cardboard, was diverted from the landfill.

For those who've never seen them, Clear Stream containers have kelly green or royal blue lids atop a folding, laundry-hamper style frame, with clear bags suspended from them. The lids have three holes about four inches in diameter just for bottles or cans.

CCAN will be sponsoring the Clear Stream containers at the Tumbleweed Music Festival on Sept. 5 and 6 at Howard Amon Park.

Please visit the CCAN information booth to learn about additional green activities in the region. While you're there, please consider donating gently used school supplies such as binders, backpacks and pencil boxes. CCAN will get them to kids in need as they head back to school.

Thanks for supporting these recycling efforts. We hope you will decide to seek out recycling containers, and choose to walk the talk. Even if you have to walk a few extra yards!

* Ginger Wireman is president of the Confluence Community Action Network and aprofessional environmental educator. E-mail: ginger@ccando.org

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