Neversink

To the editor:

According to the Environmental Center of the University of Colorado Boulder, landfills produce dangerous gasses including methane, that poison the ground around them, and there are over 1,800,000 acres of them across the US.

Other research suggests that the US creates two billion tons of waste per year which means that the average person in the US creates more than 1,600 pounds of waste annually. This means that the US produces 40 percent of the world’s waste, even though we only make up 5% of the world’s population (according to data from the University of Southern Indiana). If we don’t take action now, within 30 years we will produce 3.4 billion tons of waste per year. However, if we reduce, reuse, and recycle, we can reduce the amount of waste that is created.

Recycling is one of the best methods to help keep waste out of landfills. However, many people put more trash into landfills due to a lack of knowledge about their recycling programs. There are many places in Sullivan County in which recycling can be brought. The Bottle Depot in Monticello, local transfer stations, and local Walmarts and ShopRites are a few examples of places that accept recycling. Bottles and cans can be dropped off to any of these areas, but other types of recyclable materials should be brought to a local transfer station.

Because I feel so passionate about this issue, I will be organizing events and creating programs very soon. Be on the lookout for information that will be coming soon.