The chicken bones mystery
The other night, I was watching a bit of TV with Corey, when the dog started whining, wiggling and pawing at her. Ivy just wasn’t happy.
Corey couldn’t quiet the dog. Finally, she got up and followed her.
A minute later Corey returned and asked, “Do you have chicken in your purse?”
Now of all the questions I might have expected to hear, that wasn’t one of them, but I answered, “No, not chicken-chicken bones and no-not now. But I did. What’s in there now is the empty bag.”
Bingo!
Ivy was once on the receiving end of a gift-a bit of cooked chicken-from a misguided individual (my husband), and ever since, whenever she sniffs the stuff, she’s like a four-year-old on Christmas morning-beside herself with verging-on-hysterical, quivering excitement.
Now, you might rightfully ask, what was I doing with chicken bones in my purse?
Well, I’m fortunate to live in King County, WA, outside of Seattle, where recycling as an individual or family is as easy as it can be.
We have three types of receptacles: one for mixed recyclables-paper, plastics, metals etc., one for yard waste and food (including meat, bones etc.) and one for the rest.
The yard waste container, however, is not part of our regular collection and there is an additional fee for it.
Personally I compost most food scraps, but those I cannot, I take to Corey’s because she funds a yard waste container.
So, that evening, realizing I’d be going to Corey’s, I put the bones from some soup I’d made, into a plastic bag, took them to Corey’s and dumped them into the bin, then wadded up the bag to take home and wash to be used again for the same purpose.
Mystery solved.
Why am I telling you this story?
First of all I thought it was funny and wanted to share it.
But secondly, today is America Recycles Day and the tale illustrates that even though we’re spoiled by our curbside recycling service here in the Seattle area because we don’t have to separate most recyclables, the system is not perfect. We still may have to do something out of our routine (like carting chicken bones across town), to ensure that food wastes don’t go into landfills where they contribute to the greenhouse gas problem.
- Collapsible container for 4 types of recyclables. Clever!
So if you don’t have curbside recycling at all, or your computer breaks down and you’re tempted to toss it into the trash, or you’re at an event and they don’t offer containers where you can deposit your can (unlike the fantastic one we spotted last spring in Colorado-see photo), take a moment and consider the alternative(s).
Before we had curbside recycling, I drove newspapers and cans to our local public school where they were turned into cash for the classes.
On our last visit to NYC, the hotel didn’t provide in-room recycling, so Corey packed up what we had produced (no food), tucked it into her suitcase, and hauled it home.
I know how often we think that our individual actions just don’t make a difference, but the fact is that they do.
If you aren’t recycling as much as you can, how about taking a family vow today, to start doing more.
Not sure what can be recycled and what can’t? A great resource is Earth 911.
But also check out your local waste management service. Find out what can be recycled curbside and what can’t. For larger items-furniture, for instance, flammable liquids and chemicals, your community, like ours, may hold recycling events.
Whatever you do, whenever you get ready to throw something into the trash without thinking about whether it could be recycled, take a moment and picture me, chicken bones stuffed in my purse, being followed by a salivating pup-and know that it probably can be.
Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®.
