Reduce, Recycle, Reuse are three words with which I am sure we are all familiar. But if you are like me, you may only engage in the second word: Recycle. To help people reduce and reuse, and educate them about how they can engage in all three R’s of recycling, the Urbana Park District (UPD) and U-Cycle are teaming up once again on America Recycles Day this weekend. America Recycles Day is, “a nationwide initiative”, with cities around the country hosting their own events to educate and engage their local communities about ways to “keep America beautiful” and decrease our negative impact on the environment.
This year’s event, America Recycles Day: Clothing the Loop, will take place this Saturday, November 14th at the Anita Purves Nature Center in Urbana. From 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. you can bring your family and friends to the nature center to recycle batteries, cell phones, and ink jet cartridges, among other items. It is a great and convenient opportunity to finally be free of that old Nokia flip-phone hidden at the back of a drawer in your kitchen (or wherever your old phones go to die).
But this event is not just about dropping off items that are difficult to recycle; this is also the first America Recycles Day event organized by UPD and U-Cycle with a philanthropic component. In addition to recycling Capri sun packs or old Mercury thermostats, you can also drop off gently used coats, gloves, hats, and other winter items. Those winter clothing items will then be donated to Courage Connection, a local organization with a shelter and store that assists women and children in transition. Proceeds from the Courage Connection store (where the donated items will be sold), will then go to the shelter. Not only can you help better the environment while at the event this weekend, while also clearing out some much needed space in the hall closet, but you can will also be helping people within our community that really need it this winter.
There are also going to be tons of fun activities at “Clothing the Loop.” Children and adults alike can participate in crafting and games, and view the entries to the Creative ReUse Competition. Last year’s event featured a bicycle theme, and therefore bicycle crafts and competition entries. As such, this year’s competition will consist of crafts and other creative knick knacks made of old clothing and textiles. The competition is split up into three age groups: 9 years old and under, 10 to 15 years old, and 16 and over, ensuring no one misses an opportunity to showcase what he or she can do. Entries will be accepted this Friday and the day of the event with all ages and abilities welcome. So be sure to dig around in your closet, put on your thinking cap, and make something great. The Creative ReUse Competition is just one thing that makes this event so unique and family friendly says event coordinator from UPD, Savannah Donovan, because anyone of any ability within the community can be recognized for their creative reuse.
It was also important to the event coordinators, Donovan and Courtney Kwong of U-Cycle, that the three R’s of recycling be thought of and incorporated to all aspects of the event, a goal I think they accomplished in a fun and engaging way. When you go to the nature center this Saturday, do not just recycle. Go look at the crafts made by local artists from reused materials and learn about ways you can reduce your consumption. Reduction is an especially important, and often overlooked compenent of this day, and recyling in general. If you can make something productive and useful from old items, when you do not always have to buy something new says Kwong. If we all took a little more time to reduse, via reuse, we would hit two out of three of the R’s.
A family friendly event, “America Recycles Day: Clothing the Loop,” is sure to be fun, and an added bonus: it’s free. Stop by anytime during the event’s scheduled hours to drop off your recyclable materials, see what awesome creations were inspired by this year’s theme, and take the pledge to recycle. To sign the pledge, you can go to the event, but if for some reason you absolutely, positively cannot make it, the pledge to recycle is available online. Taking the plegde at the event though, makes you automatically eligible to win a prize. If you are unsure about what you can and cannot recycle, there will also be information about recyclable materials and drop-off location, like the Urbana Free Library, where you can take old batteries. And while you are there, you can also check out all that the nature center has to offer from their wildlife observation room to environmental programs.
Fun facts! U-Cycle picks up about 200 pounds of batteries a week from the Urbana Free Library and other drop-off locations around town. Those batteries are then sent to a firm in Michigan where they are treated and made into eco-batteries. The holiday season is here! If you find that some of your twinkle lights no longer work, you can take them to Advantage Recycling. And last, but not least, if you have some old packing materials laying around your house that you are not using, you can take those to a local UPS location. They would be happy to have your extras.
If you have any questions about recycling in Champaign-Urbana or the event, Savannah Donovan can be contacted by phone (217-384-4062) or e-mail (sydonovan@urbanparks.org). Courtney Kwong of U-Cycle can be also be contacted at (217) 384-2302 or crkwong@urbanaillinois.us.
Photos courtesy of Urbana Park District and U-Cycle.