Over the years, the county officials in Lee County have taken a lot of steps to improve the recycling system within the county. Recently, the officials from the Environmental Services within the county stated that the county's present recycling rates had approximately increased by 143 percent, in comparison to 2008. The officials stated that they are happy that the recycling activities within the county are increasing, and they are hoping that in the coming few years, the county will be able to recycle all its waste.

The Promotional Reusable Shopping Bags Within the County

According to the Director of the Environmental Services within the county, Chris Bozeman, the recycling rates within the county have been increasing at a steady rate. He feels that the grants that the county has received from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management have played a major role in increasing the recycling rates. Bozeman stated that the residents in the region have also played a major role in increasing the recycling rate. He feels that since 2008, the residents have conducted a lot of programs to educate each other on the various methods of recycling. This has lead to an increase in recycling rates, and it has also improved the participation of the residents in the various eco-friendly activities conducted by the county.

Statistically, in the year 2011, the county collected approximately 27,000 tons of waste from the 7 refuse sites within the county. Out of this waste, only three percent was recycled, that is 743 tons. However, in the year 2012, the county was able to recycle close to 2,000 tons of waste. According to Bozeman, this increase in the recycling rates has helped the county save a lot of money.

Schools Supporting Recycling and Promotional Reusable Shopping Bags

According to a Recycling Coordinator, Jamie Starnes, the schools within the county have played a major role in promoting recycling as well. Since 2008, all the schools within the county were enrolled in the county's recycling program. So the schools made efforts to recycle all their waste materials, and they have been teaching the students to recycle as well. A lot of the schools have been concentrating on their plastic waste, so they have been encouraging their students to use promotional reusable shopping bags. Bozeman feels that including the schools in the recycling program was a very good idea, and he is hoping that in the long run, the students in these schools will be able to adapt to the recycling activities in an easier way.

Source: http://www.oanow.com/news/lee_county/article_c318e5cc-8143-11e2-a616-001a4bcf6878.html