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Up to us

3 min read

“Pogo” was one of the most popular daily comics in the history of newspapers, running from 1948 until 1975.

Set in the Okefenokee Swamp of the southeastern United States, the strip often engaged in social and political satire through its hilarious animal characters.

It contained one of the famous quotes often repeated over the years. It ran on Earth Day in 1970 and referred to the environmental problems facing the country. “We have met the enemy, and he is us,” said Pogo.

Well, unfortunately pollution is still a problem in this country, and we’re still the ones to blame for the situation.

And that’s certainly the case with a local environmental problem, which could become significantly worse unless action is taken quickly by local residents.

For more than 20 years, the Goodwill Recycling Center has serviced a number of local municipalities, including Uniontown, South Union Township and North Union Township.

However, the center might close in the near future because people simply aren’t recycling like they did in the past.

Bob Stape, chief operating officer for Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania, noted that in 2002 nearly 9.5 million pounds of material were recycled but that number dropped to just over 3.5 million pounds by 2015.

“People have become comfortable with not recycling,” Stape said. “Whether it’s cans, glass, cardboard, paper, etc.”

“In my neighborhood, it’s a shame how few recycle,” said North Union Township Supervisor Rob Tupta. “Those who do will end up paying for those who don’t.”

Stape explained that the drop in recycling has led to a dramatic decrease in revenue for Goodwill, which has lost close to $1 million in the last 15 years, including $100,000 last year.

“Over time, our general operating costs have increased — fuel, vehicle maintenance, labor, etc. Our costs increase, but we’re losing revenue opportunities,” Stape said.

“It’s an investment that Goodwill can no longer do,” he added. “If things don’t change, we’ll be out of the recycling business in Fayette County.”

Stape noted that Goodwill isn’t out to make a killing off the recycling business.

“We’re a non-profit. We’re not in this to make money. We just want to provide jobs and support the community,” he said.

Stape said Goodwill is creating a marketing campaign to emphasize the importance of recycling. South Union Township Supervisor Bob Schiffbauer said officials there plan to launch an educational campaign to explain the benefits of recycling — and to remind residents doing so is mandatory.

Let’s hope the campaigns work because there could be dire consequences if they don’t. For one if Goodwill moves on, local residents will almost certainly have to pay more for recycling. For another, there could be a push to crack down on residents who don’t recycle. Scofflaws could end up paying stiff fines for not recycling. While no one wants to see that happen, something will have to be done if recycling doesn’t pick up.

In the end, there’s a lot of truth in what the “Pogo” cartoon character had to say about the environment. It’s about us. We can either be the problem or the solution. We simply must do a better job of recycling. It’s not just the right thing to do for the environment, it’s the law.

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