Last night I had inspirations

(of a sea gull).

Her beauty and her sibilations,

which were thoughts to me,

showed me my idolatry

(in progress).

As we flew dosados,

humanity, in pictures I did stow.

…flying high in the skies

with freedom in mine eyes.

John Ziech 1971

I love a still morning when the sun is warming the air.  Most days I try to have a quiet moment during my first cup of coffee to watch and listen to the birds. They seem to add anticipation to the day chirping and calling from tree to tree. It’s a new beginning for the new day ahead.  I watch them dodge and weave between the branches and perch on the top of trees looking down on the landscape below. What a wonder the world must be from the eyes of a bird.

I’m not the first person to think of being a bird, and there is good reason to be grateful I’m human and not a bird.  My ability to reason means I know to stay away from things that can electrocute or poison me.  I also know that glass, although clear, is hard, and I can’t out run a truck. So I guess what I really want to be is a bird with a human brain… maybe I can get some genetic engineer to work on that for me.

This morning over my cup of coffee I wonder what motivates us humans to change our natural environment.  The birds are pretty happy with what nature provides them. We humans on the other hand seem to consistently alter our environment to our whims and conveniences. Perfectly manicured lawns, giant homes, food from around the world, and power everything.  How did we get to this state and would it be possible to live as simply as a bird?  

So as I sip my coffee my outdoor friends are showing me some things consider.  Here are 10 things the birds taught me this morning:

1.     Spend more time outdoors.

2.     Have a small home (nest) that is easy to maintain made from local materials.

3.     Eat local foods that are seasonably available.

4.     Nurture and teach our young, and encourage them to fly.

5.     Stay away from trouble and those that can harm you.

6.     Sometimes dodging trees (taking risks) is necessary and fun.

7.     Go south for the winter (I had to add this one living in Michigan).

8.      Resources are limited so don’t over populate your neighborhood (or the world).

9.     Love your mate.

10.  Fly to live.

Both humans and birds live on what nature has provided on this planet.  Birds seem to find simple joy in their search for food and shelter in order to survive.  We seem to only find joy by altering our environment with materials and foods that come from faraway places.  Try to look at the world from a bird’s eyes. See the world from a new perspective and simplify your life. You will find a new freedom from our human condition.

It’s so heartening to walk into a place and see recycling stations.  It lets me know that the people and management are knowledgeable about sustainability and their bottom line.

Recycling stations should be conveniently accessible, easy to use, and easy to clean. This means that they’re usually placed where people eat and work.  Whether you’re in an office, house of worship, learning environment, or a retail or eating establishment, time and effort has been used to create a look or a brand.  Adding a recycling station should help complete the look. Unfortunately, many units available come in bright colors and shapes that can give a carnival atmosphere rather than blending in with the existing décor.

A recycling bin should be obvious in its use, but not obnoxious in its look. There are no official international designated colors assigned to specific recycling tasks.  It can be confusing when going place to place trying to remember or figure out what each color means.  And what if you’re color blind?  What if you have foreign visitors?  As a former teacher, I know that classrooms can get a cluttered look very quickly.  Students of any age are often distracted by clutter.  Same goes for any work space.  Using different colored bins adds a rainbow to the area making them stand out instead of blending into the environment you intended.

RecycleBoxBins were designed to be obvious in their use, but not scream, “Here I am!”. The dark lids and bottoms don’t show dirt. The clean looking white bins fit in any environment. The customizable labels lets you choose what labels and colors work best for you.

So if a “rainbow” look is not for you, check out our bins for a well designed, efficient, and affordable system.

We all know the notion that our children will inherit either the wonderful world we have handed down to them, or the mess that they will be faced to clean up.  We at RecycleBoxBin are encouraged to see so many educators teaching our future leaders the value of a clean environment.  The programs vary quite a bit from one school district to another, but any program is better than no program.

We recently worked with one of our local schools in the nearby Forrest Hills school district- Ada Vista School.  This is a Spanish language emersion elementary school, making it quite unique in our west Michigan area.  But they are also one the leaders in environmental awareness in the area.  The recycling program (see the “Ada Vista Green Team” facebook page) includes all types of recycling as well as composting.  They have had a great program utilizing TerraCycle to make a good chunk of money each year too. 

Ada Vista has installed a RecycleBoxBin in every class room in the school.  The triple units collect trash, recyclables and TerraCycle items.  They have a separate bin for paper. The units fit into most classrooms right by the door.  Our large capacity bins with a small footprint helps to minimize the amount of floor space taken- floor space the teachers need so desperately.

We are proud to have been  part of expanding Ada Vista’s recycling program and we are encourage to see many other schools with equally aggressive programs. The state of South Carolina has a great program that encourages and teaches schools how to go about starting up a recycling effort.  The hyperlink above will provide you a great document pointing out some of the basics of starting a program.

Feel free to contact us if you are interested in a more aggressive recycling program at your local school.  We are currently offering a 15% discount to any school, and will always give a cost break for a school program.  Educating our next generation in the many ways to improve our earth is all our responsibility.