Published on Sunday, April 21, 1991
© 1991 The Arizona Republic

Byline: By Thomas Ropp, The Arizona Republic

Not everyone recycles.

The message is spreading, but it takes time.

This past year, however, was a propitious one in that more people became involved in recycling.

Mary Alice Fox of Phoenix was inspired to recycle after last year's Earth Day.

''I never realized how limited our planet's resources were until then,'' she said.

She thinks many people are reluctant to begin recycling because it may appear overwhelming.

''Work into it gradually,'' she said. ''Start off with one item, like newspapers. You'll feel good about recycling them. Then add aluminum cans, then glass, then plastics.''

Fox also encourages people to ''precycle'' before recycling.

''Many items are reusable,'' she said. ''Plastic bags, for example, can be used over and over again.''

Kathy Thiebert of Phoenix says her family recycles everything that is recyclable. She believes people sometimes make recycling more difficult than it is.

''A lot of people think they have to go out and get big recycling bins, a different bin for each material to be recycled,'' Thiebert said. ''People then complain about having to go out to the shed or garage all the time to fill or empty the bins.''

What works better for her family is to keep one separate recycling container next to the regular trash container in the house.

''We put all our recyclables into the one container. Then, at the end of the week, we go through and separate. It's much more convenient to do it this way than to make a special trip outside to the garage every time you have another empty aluminum can.''

Maggie Steinbach, an office manager for Rita Sanders Advertising, has been recycling paper products and aluminum cans for about a year.

''My husband, Joe, and I got started to help raise money for an addition to our clubhouse,'' Steinbach said.

The Steinbachs live in Mesa East, a mobile-home community of about 500 residents. Once a week, volunteers at Mesa East go door-to-door and collect recyclable paper and cans, then run them down to The Recycling Place at Center Street and Southern Avenue in Mesa (844-0088).

For those who wish to start recycling newspaper, Steinbach suggests keeping regular grocery-store bags nearby.

''The newspapers fit right in the bag,'' Steinbach said. ''And the bags are also recyclable.''

Way to make money
Steinbach says the financial benefits of recycling can be considerable over time. ''Our community has already saved enough to get plans for the clubhouse addition on the drawing board.''

Richard Fox started a citizens' association in his central Phoenix neighborhood to help beautify the area.

''One of the things we do is recycle,'' Fox said. ''We've asked the city of Phoenix for an empty lot where we could put a community recycling center and large composting facility.''

Fox, who operates a gardening and housekeeping service called Cosmo House and Garden, also is involved in his neighborhood's planning committee and Blockwatch.

''I started the association because I'm an environmentalist. I came to Arizona 20 years ago to live and work at Arcosanti,'' he said, referring to Paolo Soleri's conservation-oriented community of the future near Cordes Junction.

He hopes his efforts also will increase property values in the area.

Linda Pasquan has been active in educating members of the Paradise Valley Junior Women's Club on the significance of recycling.

''I've been writing about ways to recycle in our newsletters and talking about recycling at our meetings,'' she said.

Pasquan emphasizes easy things that the club's 40 members can do around the house, including recycling newspapers and aluminum cans and washing out and reusing plastic bags. The club is now expanding its efforts in the community, she said.

Focusing on schools
''We're working with the city to get as many drop-off stations at as many schools in the Paradise Valley School District as we can,'' Pasquan said. ''Right now, we're focusing on getting recycling bins in place at the schools.''

Donna Pulling calls herself a '60s child, a product of the whole-Earth era.

''I guess my family has always thought of me as an activist,'' she said. ''But concern for the environment has always been part of my life. My father used to separate garbage for garden compost when I was a kid growing up on a farm in Pennsylvania. But it wasn't called recycling then. It was called weird.''

A year ago, Pulling instituted a recycling program at St. Mary's High School, which her daughter attends.

''I was so vocal about recycling at last year's school-board meetings they put me on the school board,'' she said.

She has been working in conjunction with St. Mary's Earth Club to make sure that recycling boxes are in classrooms.

''We're just doing paper right now,'' Pulling said. ''The students had already been recycling aluminum cans for fund-raising.''

Seven trees have been saved so far from the school's recycling efforts, she said. ''But I think the awareness aspect itself is important. The campus is cleaner. The kids seem to have greater respect for property because they're recycling.''

Pulling is trying to coordinate recycling programs with parents who have businesses in the Central Corridor. She also has been contacted by two other Phoenix high schools to help start recycling programs.

Oil can be recycled

Dan Day of Tempe used to unload his waste motor oil in a trash bin, where it was hauled off to the dump.

''But then I got to reading how the oil eventually seeps down into the ground water and that someday somebody would be drinking it,'' Day said.

For three years, Day has been recycling his waste oil, taking it to an independent garage that services his car and truck.

''It's not that difficult to do if you can find someone who will take it and you can transport it without spilling it,'' said Day, a photographer and photo instructor at Mesa Community College.

He recommends storing and transporting waste oil in metal cans.

''I used to put it in gallon milk jugs, but they can leak,'' he said. ''Also, if you use milk containers, you'll probably throw them out afterward and there will still be a little oil in them.''

Color photos (5)

1) MARY ALICE FOX, PHOENIX / Start off with one item, like newspapers. You'll feel good about recycling them. Then add aluminum cans, then glass, then plastics. 2) KATHY THIEBERT, PHOENIX / We put all our recyclables into the one container. Then, at the end of the week, we go through and separate. It's much more convenient to do it this way than to make a special trip outside to the garage every time you have another empty aluminum can. 3) MAGGIE STEINBACH, MESA / The newspapers fit right in the (paper grocery) bag. And the bags are also recyclable. 4) DAN DAY, TEMPE / (Recycling waste oil is) not that difficult to do if you can find someone who will take it and you can transport it without spilling it. 5) LINDA PASQUAN, PHOENIX / We're working with the city to get as many drop-off stations at as many schools in the Paradise Valley School District as we can.