To the editor:
Re: “MLA questions costly B.C. recycling monopoly,” March 28.
MLA Lana Popham is heading in the right direction regarding the government’s new recycling plan; however, she could — and as a New Democrat, should — go a lot further on the neglected issue of greater recycling.
Although there’s plenty of vocal and thoroughly published opposition from newspaper profit-margin interests, B.C.’s community newspapers have, so far, omitted public opinion from their “Letters” pages.
Why?
Rather than focus all of their protest against the government’s new recycling plan on the bottom-line effects, why not actually do something environmentally and resourcefully progressive?
Perhaps, say, every Earth Day, run editorials about adding more items to the short lists of recyclables.
It would truly be refreshing to read opinion pieces, for a change, actually critical of budgetary red ink, however little or great, being conveniently utilized by our governments as an excuse to not recycle so very many materials circulating throughout society.
If need be, any red-ink monetary losses should and could be recouped by placing larger recycling fees upon all purchasable items, rather than just the current relatively few (e.g. bottles).
Perhaps if enough people, likely those who are already inclined to recycle as much as is currently allowed by recycling-box rules, begin to place many more non-accepted solids into such boxes, the powers that be might feel far more compelled to adapt/equip the recycling plants to enable the recycling of such solids, if not even others.
We’ve already wasted way too much material and especially ecologically limited time.
Frank G. Sterle, Jr.
White Rock
