The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that the average person generates more than 4 pounds of trash each day, amounting to about 1.5 tons of solid waste per year. It also estimates that 75% of the waste that goes into trash cans is recyclable, but we only recycle about 30% of it.
Horse owners arenât exempt from these statistics. Think of how many water bottles youâve tossed after riding on a hot day or how many plastic shavings bags youâve stuffed in the trash. Fortunately, it doesnât take much to make a few eco-friendly changes to your equine lifestyle. In this article weâll discuss what and how you can recycle and reuse for a greener barn.
Set Up a Recycling System
First things first: Encourage a more recycling-minded atmosphere at your barn, regardless of whether itâs your two-stall personal barn or a large commercial boarding facility. And your efforts will be much more effective if theyâre well- thought-out and organized.
âThe most important part of setting up a good recycling system is to designate a ârecycling person in chargeâ who is really passionate about saving the world,â says Barbara G. Crabbe, DVM, of Pacific Crest Sporthorse Equine Veterinary Services, in Beavercreek, Oregon. Her practice made the commitment to ââ in 2009, and sheâs since set up an extensive recycling program for the clinic. âFor me, reminding my employees constantly about how important it is to our practice is huge. I actually dig through the trash when I see things that could be recycled, hunt down whoever put it in there, and tell them where it should go,â adding that, yes, her colleagues sometimes fondly call her crazy.
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