Growing up my parents were always going a bit “greener.” We composted, gardened organic, ate local, bought in bulk, and recycled. I didn’t realize then that living “greener” would make me want to choose a more sustainable lifestyle as an adult. Fast forward to today. Life is a bit more complicated in the dense suburbs. (I just looked this up on Wiki, our suburb measures approximately 3,400 people per square mile. The town where I grew up is approximately 45 people per square mile. I sensed some over-crowding.) And we aren’t able to do all the same green things I did as a kid. Nevertheless, involving the kids in our “green” endeavors is perhaps the best way to show them how to take care of our small planet.

When we were in New Hampshire visiting my parents this past weekend I insisted on taking the kids to “da dump.” I remember this waste transfer station to be this extraordinary place of wonder to a child. We’d pull up into this old shed of sorts. Everyone would get out of the car and guys in jean overalls would help us dump our buckets of tin cans, glass bottles, news papers, and trash bags into their respective spots. Occasionally, we’d have to roll tires to the tire pile. I remember old license plates, antiqued washboards, LPs, and ceramics hung up high on the walls, forever watching the unwanted items come and go. It smelled like stale beer, (or maybe that was our brown glass bucket) and rain water. And it was always an exciting place to visit on Saturdays with Dad.

Da Dump, as it is affectionately called by the locals has changed quite a bit. Now run by volunteers, the town has adopted a Pay As You Throw policy. Trash bags are about $2 each and to minimize the amount you throw there is a place to recycle almost everything there.  My parents (Dad works and Mom stays at home most days) and one dog usually fill a trash bag every three weeks.

Motor oil, cooking oil, papers and cardboard, construction waste, glass, tin, plastics, old windows, mercury light  bulbs, textiles and gently used items can all be recycled. (Some items require a disposal fee which covers the cost to transport it to wherever it is made into something new.) I ran around taking pictures and the kids explored the bails of aluminum cans, old reflectors, and new treasures in the “swap shop.” What kid wouldn’t like a place where there is the opportunity to take home a new game.

The kids already know we recycle #5 plastic containers. And now they have explored how others are recycling and “going green.”