by Anne Mohoff,
Sunset Waste Systems

The original idea for a national Earth Day was conceived by Senator Gaylord Nelson in 1962. For several years, the senator had been troubled by the state of our environment and apparent lack of care for it in the political community. The senator spoke out to a variety of audiences for over seven years, informing the general public of the degradation of our environment; and, finally, the first National Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970!

That date marked the beginning of today’s modern environmental movement. Originally, groups that had been fighting against oil spills, pollution from factories and power plants, raw sewage spillage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness and the extinction of wildlife were suddenly connected to thousands of others that had the same concerns and values! This year marked the 40th anniversary of the Earth Day movement. It’s been estimated that over 1.5 billion people — in more then 184 countries — will participate in different global events worldwide.

By sheer numbers alone, it’s proven people worldwide care about their surroundings and environment; and, at Sunset Waste Systems, it’s our job to care for you and our environment. We participate in numerous clean-up days at local schools, parks, and recreation areas by providing dumpsters for trash, green waste, recyclables and e-waste. Our concern for our environment doesn’t begin and end on Earth Day; we employ three full time recycling coordinators who work to educate the youth of our community by visiting elementary schools and teaching them about recycling and conservation. They also discuss the use of trash, recycling and green waste containers with local residents who may be new to the community and unfamiliar with our conservation policies. Lastly, they encourage local businesses to recycle whenever needed, providing them with the necessary containers to do so. The recycling of commercial waste is a program which the state government plans on implementing in 2012, but we have taken the initiative and are already providing this service in many of our communities!

Why not make everyday Earth Day in your household? It’s easy if you remember these four “R”s: Recycle, Reduce, Reuse and Rethink. A small change in your family’s daily habits can help keep our world a safe, healthy environment for today, tomorrow and years to come.

Watch for a new Going Green column by
Anne monthly! June’s is Recycle, Reduce, Reuse and Rethink. ➡

Anne Mohoff is an ongoing contributor to our
Helping Hands section, providing a green perspective as the Business Development Coordinator
of Sunset Waste Systems.