Heavy rain dampens recycling efforts

Photo contributed Recycling bins for bottles and cans were placed on the Town Hall grounds for the July 4 festivities. Rain limited the number of bags of recyclables, which were donated to the Girl Scouts to redeem.
Photo contributed Recycling bins for bottles and cans were placed on the Town Hall grounds for the July 4 festivities. Rain limited the number of bags of recyclables, which were donated to the Girl Scouts to redeem.
Photo contributed
Recycling bins for bottles and cans were placed on the Town Hall grounds for the July 4 festivities. Rain limited the number of bags of recyclables, which were donated to the Girl Scouts to redeem.

Kathi Ellick, president of the Cornwall Conservation Committee, purchased 20 bins to encourage the recycling of redeemable bottles and cans during the Fourth of July festivities. The plan was to benefit the Girl Scouts, but unfortunately heavy rain for much of the afternoon made the effort less successful than initially predicted.

The recycling effort netted about four large garbage bags full of bottles and cans, but the goal was to collect double or triple that amount.

“Our intention was to get them out earlier in the morning before the pet show,” Eillick said. “We could not put the bins out until after 4:30 p.m., due to the rain.”

Ellick said the cardboard bins were too expensive to have them ruined by leaving them out in the rain. She and some of her friends split the cost of the bins – 10 for $70. She purchased 20 and the shipping was an additional $130, plus $17 in tax.

The bins were purchased through Coca Cola. They are three feet high and 18 inches square. One side reads, “Please recycle” while two sides have the company emblem. The Girl Scouts covered up the logos with pictures to help encourage others to recycle.

Only half of the bins were assembled, decorated, and scattered throughout the Town Hall grounds. Ellick is hopeful the bins will make another appearance during September’s Fall Festival.