The Sort Story

Being an environmentalist is as easy as paying attention. It’s the thoughtful approach to life that most of us are already honing. The trick is to find what works for you, making small changes you can stick with. I know, I know, it sounds like a diet plan to save the world. In a way it probably is—sans tights.

Recycling was my first big step. In Denver, the switch to piling plastics, glass, and paper products into the appropriate green bins took very little of my time. Then last July, my husband George and I moved to rural Kansas, where the recycling program is entirely DIY. I now make a weekly trip to the drop off center, where I spend at least 30 minutes sorting the recyclables into more than 15 specific categories. Sigh.

But it’s easier to buy local here, where farmers make up 60% of the population in our county. So I trade some of the extra time I used to spend foraging for produce on my recycling commitment. This is a small change for me with a big impact.
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