Tempe goes to green composting pilot, adds recycling around town...and I finally get a post out there!

First off, I must apologize for the lack of information lately. From this point on there will be more and more information and great ideas coming out from this blog! I appreciate all of the support that has come from the audience out there, but I am still looking for links and stories from you, the readers! If you have something in your community or your house that you think should be covered or want people to know about, leave us a note and we'll get it out there for ya. We are always looking for input and the more we keep talking the better for all of our communities and homes.

Now, on to the post.

Tempe, Arizona has done it again, leading the way with a new and invigorating ideas to improve their city and continue to promise green living to their community. Over a year ago they expanded their recycling program to include all plastic numbers, #1-#7, and now they are looking to include green compost waste. According to an August 24th, 2010 press release from the city they are piloting a program in some of their neighborhoods to college green compost waste. This is exciting news, especially from a community that already offers free compost bins to their residents. According to the release the waste is going to be used right back into their community:

As they say, what goes around, comes around - in a good way. Tempe's new pilot compost program collects green waste that comes back to the community in the form of rich compost for parks, ball fields and community gardens.

They also have released a nice video about the program and the important benifits of the program:

Once again, Tempe showing the way for other Arizona cities, and actually, United States cities. Does your community do this? If they do let me know, and I'll give an update and a shout out to those communities as well!

Also, speaking of Tempe. According to a July press release from the city, they have finally installed the much needed Mill Avenue District recycling bins for drop-off recycling. This should be a great benefit for the students that live off campus in apartments and houses in the area, where recycling is not necessarily offered. From the press release the location is:

It’s now a little easier to be green in downtown Tempe. This week, the City of Tempe in partnership with Downtown Tempe Community installed three new recycling containers in the downtown area – on Mill Avenue at both Fifth and Sixth streets and at Tempe City Hall, 31 E. Fifth St. – making it easier for people to recycle while visiting downtown Tempe.

This should be a great improve to a city always trying to look forward. For more information please visit Tempe's recycling website.

Speaking of recycling really quick, I recently took a trip back to Michigan, and was flying Delta. For the first time in all of my air travel, they actually offered in-flight recycling. I was shocked, but pleased. This probably isn't news since I don't fly more than twice a year, but it was comforting to finally see this in-flight.

Until next time, which will be sooner than last time, feel free to reach out to us and help us bring this community together and move forward one mind at a time, and spread the word!

----Justin J. Stewart

Comments

[Phoenician]

I like this. I really do. I have been learning to compost this year, and am having mixed results, but it is coming along. I'd love to live in Tempe. It does seem to be the most progressive city in the Valley.

Having said that ...

Aren't they a bit hypocritical about calling themselves 'green' when they are creating an artificial lake in the middle of the desert?

[Justin]

I agree with the cities position to restore Tempe Town Lake. There were a few in the local community that was expressing the desire not to restore the lake after the dam burst. I guess what it comes down to is that you have to take the good with the bad. I feel the benefit of expanding their recycling program and getting more of the community involved is a good step, and maybe through education and learning about green practices that some day more of the community will see what Tempe Town Lake really is, and put pressure on the local government to do something about it...