Pluto, Neptune, and Jupiter are now appearing to move backward, or as astrologers say, "retrograde", Uranus will join them later this month. Recycling has been on my mind lately. Perhaps that planetary motion has something to do with it.
Recycling used to be a way of life back in England. Local authorities provided separate garbage bins for our newspapers. Centres for collection of other items, such as glass and aluminium cans, were plentiful in most neighbourhoods. Here in Oklahoma it's a different story. There are few facilities to encourage recycling, and these are getting fewer by the week. Every 3 months or so we've been ferrying our collection of newspapers and cans the 35 miles to a recycling collection centre in a neighbouring city. I read this week that the big military base in that city, whose staff used to collect recycling materials from several centres, has been prevented, by Department of Defense financial constraints, from continuing these collections (except for those from a single bin in one area of the city).
Why am I surprised? The current U.S. administration seems interested only in destruction. Corporations are interested only in retail gluttony. Private enterprise, which could surely make a profit from recycling, finds it easier to do so in other ways. Our own city authorities appear to have no interest at all in recycling, in spite of requests.
There are other ways to re-cycle though. Charity shops, junk shops, "antique" shops, e-bay, garage and yard sales, all offer opportunities to by-pass the retail juggernaut. We visit Goodwill shops regularly, most of my shirts come from there. With a little patient searching it's possible to find some better quality items than are on sale in the shops in this town.
I have a growing collection of what I call "trash art" - that's yet another way of re-cycling. Pieces of driftwood, an old bicycle chain, a vintage car horn, the cover of some old sheet music, and my Aquarius symbol made from scrap copper by AJ.( son of HWK) . It's fun searching for these, and good knowing that the few dollars they cost are not going into the pockets of greed obsessed corporations.
Recycling used to be a way of life back in England. Local authorities provided separate garbage bins for our newspapers. Centres for collection of other items, such as glass and aluminium cans, were plentiful in most neighbourhoods. Here in Oklahoma it's a different story. There are few facilities to encourage recycling, and these are getting fewer by the week. Every 3 months or so we've been ferrying our collection of newspapers and cans the 35 miles to a recycling collection centre in a neighbouring city. I read this week that the big military base in that city, whose staff used to collect recycling materials from several centres, has been prevented, by Department of Defense financial constraints, from continuing these collections (except for those from a single bin in one area of the city).
Why am I surprised? The current U.S. administration seems interested only in destruction. Corporations are interested only in retail gluttony. Private enterprise, which could surely make a profit from recycling, finds it easier to do so in other ways. Our own city authorities appear to have no interest at all in recycling, in spite of requests.
There are other ways to re-cycle though. Charity shops, junk shops, "antique" shops, e-bay, garage and yard sales, all offer opportunities to by-pass the retail juggernaut. We visit Goodwill shops regularly, most of my shirts come from there. With a little patient searching it's possible to find some better quality items than are on sale in the shops in this town.
I have a growing collection of what I call "trash art" - that's yet another way of re-cycling. Pieces of driftwood, an old bicycle chain, a vintage car horn, the cover of some old sheet music, and my Aquarius symbol made from scrap copper by AJ.( son of HWK) . It's fun searching for these, and good knowing that the few dollars they cost are not going into the pockets of greed obsessed corporations.
4 comments:
The art work is brilliant.I love recycled art.
I live in Cardiff and we are very lucky with the facilities available to us to recycle most things.
I have noticed however a number of articles on the internet about the lack of recycling facilities in New Orleans since Katrina. It seems that the government provides no recycling facilities and what recycling is available comes from churches, charities and schools on a voluntary basis.
A few years ago I did a GCSE in Art in Llanover Hall Arts Centre in Cardiff and whilst I was there I took all my newspapers, glass jars, yoghurt pots , ready meal plastic containers and cereal box type card to the centre to be used by the students.I wonder if you could find a similar outlet locally to you to do the same things. Perhaps schools would be happy to take these things.
My daughters school seems only too happy to take all the things that I can give them for art but I don't know how keen they were today when I took in 6 old saucepan lids to use as cymbals.......I'm sure the children will love them!
Hello mother of many (great name!)
Thanks for your comment.
Yes, that's a good idea. The schools here have just broken for their 3 month summer vacation (I bet British kids envy them). I'll definitely remember your idea and try to use it in the future.
Wow. Just found you..from Jonas' site. I am really intrigued.
Hi Laurie Anne
Nice to see you. I thought I'd seen that avatar somewhere before !
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