Earth 911

The mission of Earth 911 is to empower the public with community-specific resources that improve their quality of life. While sustainable prevention programs are by far the best way to protect our nation’s environment, the costs associated with many of these programs can be astronomical. That is why the use of this Public and Private Sector Partnership is so important in effectuating prevention ideals. Through the Partnership, economies of scale and scope are achieved, promoting this public service across the nation and centralizing environmental resources into one user-friendly network.

Mission Statement, Earth 911

Every year our little town has this ‘trash day’ when everyone can dump all of those awkwardly big items that you can’t just put out on the curb. You drive out to the fairgrounds in your truck and toss your stuff in a dumpster.

There’s always a big line, each truck filled with couches, chairs, sinks, old fans, broken coffee makers, and computers. Once a dumpster starts getting full a guy with a front loader comes up and starts smashing it down so more will fit. It lasts all day.

I have two dozen or so cans of paint in my basement that have been there for years. Unfortunately, you can’t dump liquids on ‘trash day.’ That’s when you turn to sites like Earth 911. You punch in your zip and what you want to get rid of and you get a list of places to take it.

Unfortunately, the nearest place to take my paint is apparently in Massachusetts. The Earth 911 data bases has some obvious gaps. Still, I learned that Staples will now recycle electronics– that’s better than the city, which just smashes things up for the landfill.

About Ray Watkins

I was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital. I grew up in Houston, as a part of what we only half-jokingly call the Cajun Diaspora. At a certain point during the Regan administration, I had to leave, so I served in the Peace Corps, Philippines, from 1987-89. I didn't want to return to the United States just yet, so I moved to Paris, France, where I lived for three years or so. I then moved back to Austin, Texas, where I had received my Masters Degree, and (eventually) began a Ph.D., which I completed in 1999. I spent a year at Temple University and then accepted a position at Eastern Illinois University where I worked until May of 2006. I now work exclusively on line (although that may change) for Johns Hopkins, the Art Institute Online, and Smarthinking.com. I can be reached most easily via email: raywatkins [that 'at' symbol] writinginthewild.com

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