I was going to write something cutting-edge about recycling. An article about how it’s the 21st century and the future is here. But, frankly, as a culture we are creaking along at a snail’s pace regarding our understanding of what being green means.

Being green really just means going back to the old ways of our ancestors; reusing items many times instead of just once. The new spin on this is taking that used item that you were going to throw away to a recycling center instead and giving it a second life. There are companies, for instance, that buy plastic and turn it into products that they sell, like benches, rugs or purses.

Try this experiment if you will. Visit our wonderful recycling center. Investigate what can be recycled instead of being thrown in the garbage. There are two main kinds of plastics that they accept. Be sure to look on the plastic for a number 1 or a number 2 to indicate which receptacle to put them in. Aluminum and metal cans have their own bins, as do newspaper and cardboard. Even motor oil can be dropped off properly at the center.

Call it what you want. Paying attention to what you use and how you dispose of it is just being responsible.