Published: November 02, 2009 02:16 pm      

MONTGOMERY: Keep this in mind

Out of sight, out of mind. That’s how we like to keep it in the United States. Now, let’s start thinking local. Have you ever visited the Clark-Floyd Landfill? Do you even know where it is? I’m guessing most people haven’t been there because it’s out of sight. I’m also guessing if the landfill was piling up in the middle of town, people wouldn’t be throwing away as much.

There are almost 200,000 people living in Clark and Floyd counties. Imagine if every resident threw one soda can into their trash can every day. Now, imagine the enormous pile getting bigger and bigger every day, year after year — and that’s just from soda cans. Good thing the landfill is out of sight. It’s pretty darn ugly.

I wish it was mandatory for every middle school student to go on a field trip to the dump. It wouldn’t be pleasant, but sometimes it takes a hard dose of reality for someone to change their ways. Kids need to realize they’re really not “throwing away” their trash. They are planting it the earth — in our own Southern Indiana backyard.

I’m not asking you to save the planet. I just want you to keep this in mind. If every single person in Southern Indiana starts recycling and reusing things like soda cans, shampoo bottles, plastic bags, glass jars — and the list goes on — just think about how much room it would save in our landfill?