Earth Day means recycling for some, controversy for others

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SALT LAKE CITY -- A whole lot of people were out trying to save the planet Thursday -- or at least doing their little bit to help. April 22 is Earth Day, which means there was a lot of recycling and a little bit of controversy.

It's actually the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. The original one helped launch the modern environmental movement back in 1970. This year, Earth Day brought a renewed commitment from many and a sour note from the movement's critics.

At the University of Utah, Earth Day was a chance to recycle e-waste: electronic junk -- and people brought it by the carload.

"I brought my computer monitor and an old printer and some old computer batteries," said Susan Schulman.

"I didn't want to just put them in the landfill, and so I was really excited that they had this recycling event today," said Kathleen Clark.

Earth Day always seems to attract a politician or two.

Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker declared, "Every day should be Earth Day."

What is Earth Day?

Earth Day is the day we remember to appreciate nature and learn ways to protect the environment. It was created in 1970 by Wisconsin Sen. Gaylor Nelson and organized by Denis Hayes.

School kids got the message at an Earth Day Fair in Murray with earth-friendly plants and, yes, another mayor: Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon visited the students with his own Earth Day message.

Utah's biggest waste recycling company is Waste Management Recycle America, located in West Jordan. They figure out what to do with all that stuff we dump in the blue recycle bins.

Contrary to a persistent myth, they don't mix it up with ordinary garbage and dump it in the landfill.

"We sort though it and separate out into different commodities that we sell from here," said Plant Manager Jason Stirling.

Newspaper gets recycled into newspaper again or tissue paper. Cans, plastic and other stuff gets melted down. The buyers are all over the world.

Utah's biggest waste recycling company is Waste Management Recycle America, located in West Jordan. They figure out what to do with all that stuff we dump in the blue recycle bins.

"When it comes here we recycle it, we re-use it, we send it out to other people who find a new use for it," Stirling said.

But some people are using Earth Day as a chance to attack environmentalists for infiltrating the schools with a misleading message.

Matthew Piccolo, policy analyst with the Sutherland Institute, said, "Conservation is a great thing. There are a lot of aspects of environmentalism that are wonderful. The problem is that in a lot of textbooks and curriculum materials, they're advancing unscientific, politicized theory that parents won't necessarily like."

Much of Earth Day is about kids, learning about the environment.

At the recycling plant, they often hear from parents who say they wouldn't be recycling if they hadn't been pushed by their kids.

E-mail: hollenhorst@ksl.com