REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE RETHINK

This reminder of the importance of taking care of our world is serendipitously ready to be linked to the wonderful OUR WORLD meme. 

 

Last week, we visited the BRING Recycling Facility in Eugene.  Here's the Website for this non-profit facility.

Oregon has always been a  leader in the recycling movement (it was the first state to institute a bottle-return law) and recycling of household goods and building materials is a widely-accepted practice.  BRING recycling in Eugene is a leader in this effort.

BRING began 40 years ago as a household recycling center and expanded to building materials.  Back in our other life, when we owned a home in nearby Springfield, we used to take our recycling there and often bought materials for home remodeling projects.  Back then the facility was a dusty collection of bins for sorting glass, cans and newspaper.  The building materials were piled helter-skelter under makeshift roofs.

But a few years ago, well after we had sold our house and started our full-time RV adventures, BRING bought a large piece of land and built a clean and modern facility.  Although everything that's for sale has been recycled, the warehouse is as spiffy as any home improvement store with new goods for sale.

 Now Bring accepts and sells mostly building materials. 

Businesses and homeowners use the facility to recycle goods that otherwise would go into the wastestream. 

This was our first visit to the new facility -- and we just went to look.  Because unlike back in the 70s,  nowdays you don't have to make special trips with your  ordinary household recycling.   Most people get a weekly pickup at the same time as household garbage is collected.

                                                                                 Even though he didn't need anything, Bill enjoyed browsing around the sales warehouse, receiving areas and work areas.  So did I, but what I enjoyed most was that the new facility has a pretty garden with recycled-art installations. 

I'll post some more garden-art pictures later. 

  

 
 

Comments

[ann chin]

I like Bring. I just recycled two big suit cases of clothes my daughter left for me to throw out. My church's garage sale came at the right time.

[Annie]

I'm fond of recycling ! So I like a lot your post. I bring glass, papers and all the packagings at the "déchetterie" (It's the name in France !) and in my little garden I prepare compost with all the vegetables and fruirs peelings ! I'm always happy to do that !

[Francisca]

My sister and her honey are builders on the Sunshine Coast of BC and I bet they'd go gaga in here!

[Boom & Gary]

Great post Sallie!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

[Jackie from Yorkshire]

The common-sense side of recycling, I wish our local authority would see sense once more. We are encouraged to separate items into huge skips at the recycle place, but what happens to it afterwards is anybody's guess. We are no longer allowed to buy things that are still useable, all because the European Union has said 'NO.' So a lot of good, re-useable stuff is now being destroyed.

[Arija]

A great facility indeed. Here we are in the only state in Australia that has a 10c bottle deposit on drink sized bottles and cans. It certainly keeps our highways a lot cleaner as those who do throw away a bottle or can, give someone else the incentive to pick it up and cash in.

Thank you for this great post on Our World.

[Pam]

This is a wonderful example of recycling at is best. I believe every one of us can make a difference in recycling most of the things we discard without a second thought.
Great post Sallie, thanks for the info.
hugs,
Pam

[Gemma Wiseman]

A re-cycling centre of building materials is such a great idea! I think of off-cuts and bricks in wrong colours which were all discarded as waste! Glad those days are fading!

[Stewart M - Australia]

Hi there - as people have said - once you recycle and had a compost bin for the garden the amount of waste that get carted away each week really does plummet.

Cheers - Stewart M

[J Bar]

Great idea.
Sydney - City and Suburbs

[Lady Fi]

What a great idea! There is so much waste that we can re-use in new and good ways!

[Penny]

Sallie, this is wonderful to see. My hats are always off in gratitude to those who think out of the box and far before the crowd in issues, especially "earth" issues. Thank you.

[Barb]

This really looks like a big facility. We recycle diligently and have very little garbage.

[Ebie]

I am curious what lies beyond the sign Garden of Earthly Delights.

Kudos to Oregon for this world saving cause! The 4 R's.

[Margot]

Oregon is to be commended for all their efforts in recycling. I believe a woman in Oregon is the one who started the challenge of having only one trash bag per month. The only way to do it was via recycling and composting. I say Thank You Oregon.

[Karen]

A very organized recycling plant!

[Yogi]

That's interesting. Here in Tulsa we are back where you were in the 1970's. My wife started recycling earlier this year and our garbage we put on the curb is about a third of what it was before.

[SandyCarlson (USA)]

That's an incredible place. Looks like a neat place to be.

[Kay Davies]

I heartily applaud the advanced thinking that went into this place, Sallie. It is so much more than many other areas have done, even though it makes so much sense. Why any government anywhere would balk at the idea of near-total recycling is beyond me.
A very interesting post. Thank you.

Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie’s Guide to Adventurous Travel

[Sylvia Kirkwood]

Recycling is indeed so important and that's one thing I'm so proud of Oregon and Washington for the excellent recycling programs they have! Great post for the day for protecting our world! Have a wonderful week, Sallie! Enjoy!

Sylvia

[Carver]

Recycling is so important. Great post and I'd enjoy browsing there too.