Local family is committed to recycling, inside and outside of the home
by Stacy Brandt
For the Weihe family, recycling is a way of life—at home, school, and work. Nearly everywhere they go, they find ways to reduce waste and make sure it ends up in the proper bin.
Twelve-year-old Evie Weihe volunteers for the Green Team at her school. At lunch, the team helps other students sort their waste into the appropriate bins. They separate everything, including food waste and liquids, to prevent organic waste and recyclables from ending up in the trash. There’s even a designated spot where students can place uneaten food, allowing others to enjoy it instead of letting it go to waste.
“It feels good knowing that I’m helping kids do the right thing,” she says. “We are teaching so many students to be responsible with their lunchtime waste.”
Like his daughter’s school, Steve Weihe’s office is finding ways to cut back on what they’re sending to the landfill by making waste sorting as easy as possible. Steve is a Recycling Specialist with the County of San Diego Department of Public Works. Each kitchen area at his office is equipped with three bins: landfill, recycling, and organic waste. This sorting set up allows employees to easily separate their lunch waste.
At home, the Weihe family has two backyard compost bins to turn food scraps into fertilizer for their yard. Many food items people commonly throw away, such as banana peels or avocado skins, still contain valuable nutrients. Instead of ending up in the landfill, these scraps can go into a compost bin or curbside organic waste bin to help enrich the soil and support healthier fruits, vegetables and other produce.
“It feels good knowing that I’m helping kids do the right thing. We are teaching so many students to be responsible with their lunchtime waste.”
Evie Weihe
Recycling Expert, Age 12
“Compost is great stuff. We put it on all the fruit trees,” Steve says. “It holds more water and adds nutrients to the soil. You can definitely see the difference.”
Getting set up to compost and reduce landfill waste can take a little bit of work, but it can be done at home, in the office and at school. For the office, people can ask their supervisor if there is a green team at the business or if one can be started to support efforts such as waste reduction. At school, parents and students can ask their principal about recycling and composting options.
At home, getting started with composting or using an organic waste bin can involve a bit of a learning curve, and some people worry about the “ick” factor. But with a few simple steps, it’s easy to manage.
In the end, the extra effort helps reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills.
“It’s the right thing to do,” Steve says. “Actions we take today can have positive impacts for generations to come.”
His daughter agreed.
“It doesn’t take a lot, and we can change the world,” Evie says, “one food scrap at a time.”
To learn where and how to recycle just about anything: Find out at WasteFreeSD.org
