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Last week, the Sun reported that Lowell City Manager Bernie Lynch may eliminate the city’s recycling program because not enough people are participating to make it cost effective. The only thing more shameful than the city losing $500K a year on this important, under-utilized program is not recycling at all. If more people recycled, the city would recoup its costs and generate significant savings in trash disposal fees, not to mention doing the right thing for our environment. Every one percent of trash costs about $55K, so increasing the recycling rate will SAVE MONEY by reducing trash. Another option, of course, is to institute a Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) program, such as the one they have in Worcester where recycling rates are about 50% compared to Lowell’s paltry 10%. As unpopular as increased fees are, I’d rather be charged per bag of trash—an incentive to recycle—than pay more overall disposal fees or lose recycling entirely. Recycling makes economic, environmental and moral sense. Get involved in this issue now and make sure recycling not only remains a city service, but grows to significantly reduce trash disposal.

Attend a meeting on the Lowell Recycling Crisis tomorrow night, 4/16, 8 p.m., at the Pollard Memorial Library or contact Jay Mason, a member of the city’s Green Building Commission, at 978-459-2004, for more information. Also, express your concerns to the manager and the city council, so they know recycling is important to Lowell residents. Talk it up to your neighbors and do your part to heighten public awareness: We’ve got to get more folks recycling!