America honors recycling in November. You can be part of the celebration by committing to or renewing your commitment to recycle all you can.

Did you know that recycling is one of the easiest ways to reduce global warming? In support of America Recycles Day on Nov. 15, the Monroe County Solid Waste Management District (District) urges you to find out what's in your trash bag and recycle.

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency reports, "Recycling just 35 percent of our trash would reduce global warming emissions, equivalent to taking 39 million cars off the road and anywhere from 75 percent or more of our trash can be recycled."

The National Recycling Coalition states, "Nationally, recycling saves the equivalent of more than 5 billion gallons of gas, reducing the dependence on foreign oil by 114 million barrels." It reduces pollution, saves energy, and conserves resources.

There are many myths related to recycling, but the amount of money the United States spends on trash bags instead of recycling is not one. The nation spends more on bags to dispose of trash than 90 other countries spend on everything, according to Successful Meetings Magazine.

Daily environmental actions that the District teaches serve to reduce pollution, save energy and conserve resources. The District also reminds people to purchase items with recycled content to keep the recycling market flowing.

On America Recycles Day, the District would like to thank those in the community who have been reducing waste, and we urge the Monroe County community to teach others to reduce waste, reuse as much as possible and recycle a variety of materials.

Recycling is a success in many counties, including Monroe. Did you know that Bloomington is among the communities across the United States that has more than a 50 percent recycling rate?

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Are you spending too much on trash bags? The Monroe County Solid Waste Management District reminds people to join in the recycling cycle. If you live in the city, call the city for free curbside pickup or call the District at 349-2020 or refer to www.mcswmd.org to find out the recycling location nearest you.

And, don't forget to "close the loop" by buying recycled products. These efforts across the United States and abroad keep the world a healthy, clean, and safe place to live.

Elisa Pokral can be reached at .