LETTER TO THE EDITOR

History and Horses, but what about HEALTH?

The community of Saratoga Springs and our yearround visitors need a robust publicly accessible downtown recycling program. It’s embarrassing that in 2018 we can’t design and implement a sustainable waste disposal system. I implore the City of Saratoga Springs to tackle this initiative...that other northeast communities figured out long ago.

One of the City of Saratoga’s 2015 Comprehensive Plan’s recommended actions states: [To increase] recycling in the City’s operations and promote recycling in the community; however, we’ve yet to see our local government make this a reality. In fact, all we’ve heard is outdated excuses as to why it won’t work. As such, we’re now approaching 2019 and people are still throwing aluminum cans and plastic bottles into the downtown trash cans, which eventually end up buried in the landfill. While we’re supporting the economy of the hard-working downtown trash pickers (no offense), the City is neglecting the most basic pillars of environmental sustainability: recycling.

According to Stanford University, recycling an aluminum can uses 95% less energy than producing a can from raw materials. One ton of recycled aluminum saves 14,000 Kwh of energy, 40 barrels of oil, and 10 cu. Yds. of landfill space. The new U.S. Climate report released on November 23, 2018, stressed that if significant steps are not taken towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions, our environment and economy will be severely damaged through the effects of climate change. Recycling, a simple yet effective avenue for climate change mitigation, should be designed for downtown streets by the City of Saratoga Springs.

Recycling comes with an endless list of benefits for all who wish for a healthy future. The City of Saratoga Springs should take action, now!