Dear Editor,
As a new citizen living in Jasper National Park I was very surprised when I found out that the recycle system here was so inconvenient for people to use. We all know the nature of humans, we choose the route of least resistance and if recycling is inconvenient for people to use, than most likely they won鈥檛.
In most towns and cities you keep all your recyclables in a blue bin to be picked up at your front doorstep bi-weekly. In Jasper, if you want to recycle plastic and glass, you are required to haul them to one location in town on your own accord. For people who do not drive, this can be very difficult and inconvenient so many people in Jasper choose not recycle.
There are a few good things about Jasper when it comes to reusing and recycling. They have a return centre for people to bring back their drink containers for a cash return. This is one small incentive to recycle drink containers but what about pickle jars, shampoo bottles and everything else? There are compost bins for food scraps and the infamous Buy, Sell and Trade Facebook group and store to re-purpose useful items but there is still so much work to be done when it comes to recycling in Jasper National Park.
People talk about how poor Jasper鈥檚 recycling system is but what can we do about it as a community?
鈥淣ever doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.鈥� Margaret Mead
Rebecca Croden
Jasper, Alta.
