Depending upon where you live, recycling can be confusing. Answers to questions aren’t always self-evident. For instance, what can and cannot be recycled? Or, what goes in which bin? Thankfully, Rhode Island has tried to make recycling easier in a hope that more people will participate.

The solution? Single-stream recycling – where households do not have to separate paper from plastic – everything can go in the same bin. Other items can also now be recycled, such as plastic cups, tissue paper and just about any plastic container two gallons or less in volume.

Single-stream recycling was introduced last summer to help the state’s sad 15.9 recycling rate. Yesterday I met up with my neighbor; her daughter was finishing a bottle of water. As she threw it back into her car, her mom said, “Take that out of the car and put it in the trash!” At the time, we were standing right by a recycling bin.

I told them both that they should recycle the bottle for many reasons: landfills are filing up, can be harmful to the environment and, in today’s time when recycling facilities are so readily available, there’s no excuse not to reduce our impact on the environment. Her response to me was something like this: “I try and do everything else, but I admit I’m not good at recycling.”

This points to a simple fact: The state can introduce simpler ways of recycling, but education and a solid public relations campaign are also needed. The “WHY should I recycle?” is just as important now as it ever was.

It would behoove the state and maybe just save some of our valued land to start educating people to nurture a brighter and cleaner Rhode Island.

Warren (where I live) has become the first municipality in the state of Rhode Island to lease town-owned land to a farmer. The Warren Town Council unanimously agreed to lease two acres of land at the Community Farm and Gardens to Bleu Grijalva, founder and executive director of New Urban Farmers. The New Urban Farmers is a non-profit organization that works to preserve and restore the environment by creating sustainable agricultural systems by increasing healthy food access while nurturing minds in the cities of Pawtucket, Central Falls, and surrounding areas by eliminating barriers to healthy food and empowering low-income individuals, families, and at-risk-youth with education and collaboration. It believes that a community that grows together grows together.

Urban agriculture can play an important role in creating a more livable, carbon resilient, healthier, economically vibrant, and environmentally sustainable town — when smart policies are put in place — and this is just what CLF is doing now with the announcement of the Growing Green report. By addressing New England’s regional food system, CLF can begin to make New England more resilient to the impacts of climate change already underway. CLF and CLF Ventures are working together to shape and foster the development of a robust New England regional food system.

What exciting news for urban farmers! Mr. Grijalva will spend the next decade growing berries, setting up an orchard, making honey, and start growing mushrooms (a wooded, dark area is perfect). Part of the vision is to teach young children about local farming, sustainability, and organics.

This is real boon for urban agriculture in our state!

Recently, Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation attempted to make recycling easier for Rhode Islanders by creating “single-stream recycling.” Now households do not have to separate paper from plastic – everything can go in the same bin and other items can also now be recycled, such as plastic cups, tissue paper and just about any plastic container 2 gallons or less in volume. Sounds simple and great, right? Sadly, it hasn’t caught on yet.

The state’s recycling rate is still only at 15.9 percent. And the state’s largest city, Providence, is at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to recycling at all. With the lowest rate of diverting materials from the Central Landfill (18.2%), Providence is bringing down the state’s overall recycling rate. To see how your city or town is doing visit this website.

Providence Mayor Angel Taveras has stepped up to the plate by launching the Neighborhood Recycling Challenge (running until September 7) to get more neighborhoods to recycle.  Five “teams” or neighborhoods will be competing for five new trees and a neighborhood barbeque if they improve their recycling rate by the largest margin. The goal is to get the recycling rate up to 25 percent.  It’s not only better for the environment; the city saves $250,000 in recycling costs.

For those living in Rhode Island: help your neighborhood, your city, and your environment. Get your recycle game on.

Many of us here in Rhode Island recycle, but the sad fact is that a lot of what we “think” can be recycled, can’t. Currently, only numbers 1 and 2 get through the recycle cops at the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC). But come Earth Day, that’s going to change: RIRRC is implementing Single-Stream Recycling. What does that mean? All numbers 1-7 plastics will get recycled — and everything (paper and plastic) can go into one bin, thus eliminating the need to sort.

RIRRC hopes that Single Stream Recycling will encourage residents and businesses to move more stuff from the trash to their recycling bins and will raise our state’s recycling rate to at least 35 percent from the current 24 percent.

Informational letters will be sent to residents throughout the state detailing these impressive changes. Stay tuned!

This Monday, October 24 celebrate Food Day.  Food Day “seeks to bring together Americans from all walks of life—parents, teachers, and students; health professionals, community organizers, and local officials; chefs, school lunch providers, and eaters of all stripes—to push for healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way.” Maybe you can take your child to a local dairy farm or buy some local, seasonal produce – pumpkins anyone? Events and celebrations will be held all around the country.

Food Day’s six principles will show you why eating local is good for the economy, good for the environment, and better for the farm animals themselves.

Join Rhode Islanders at 10am at the Statehouse for the launch of the RI Food Policy Council – an effort to expand access to healthy, locally grown food to everyone in Rhode Island. Then at 4pm at the URI Feinstein auditorium join the conversation about food at a Community Forum. This is your chance to become a part of the local food movement – no matter how big or small – and help to make a difference and bring local food where it needs to be: home.

For more information and to find out what’s happening where you live, visit www.foodday.org

On Thursday October 27, Tricia Jedele, CLF’s VP and Director of the Rhode Island office will be at the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation in Johnston speaking with a number of esteemed guests on the future of solid waste management the state. Our limited landfill capacity means that planning and strategic decisions have to be addressed now to sustain us for the future.

Hosted by the Environmental Business Council of New England’s Rhode Island Chapter, key decision-makers will discuss current and future issues regarding solid waste management and will also discuss options and solutions for reducing and handling solid waste in 2012 and beyond, including recycling, product stewardship, regulatory or legislative amendments and other issues related to the long term management of the solid waste stream in Rhode Island. For more information, visit the EBCNE website.

I recently moved to a part of Rhode Island that is very close to this power station. When I first saw these two huge towers, I got nervous. “Am I living near a nuclear reactor?” Turns out it was my director who was in charge of getting these cooling towers built in the first place. They help to dramatically reduce the amount of cooling water the station uses from Mt. Hope Bay, thereby minimizing the thermal impact on the bay. A closed-loop system reduces the required amount of cooling water by more than 90 percent.

I grew up on the Atlantic Ocean and living near the water has always been important to me. To work with an organization that wants to continue to keep our waters clean, and to know that I can feel safe that our natural habitats have support from CLF means the world to me. Now when I drive to the beach and friends ask me what those big towers are, I proudly tell them, “My boss did that!”

Just five more days until the Providence premiere of Carbon Nation. Tell your friends and come get inspired by inspiring people who took the path of positivity and solutions rather than complaining about the current carbon climate.

Join us after the film for a panel discussion with director Peter Byck and local environmental leaders. You may even get a chance to share your own carbon solutions.  Find out more information and purchase your tickets here:  http://www.clf.org/carbonnation/

See you on Monday!

Ever wondered what your own carbon footprint looks like? Calculate it here.

Once you’ve done that, make plans to come see Carbon Nation on October 25 at 6:00 PM at the Metcalf Auditorium in the Chace Center at RISD. Carbon Nation stands on the side of pioneers who want to find Solutions…who want to stop complaining and Take Action. Carbon Nation is an optimistic, solutions-based, non-preachy, non-partisan film that shows tackling climate change boosts the economy, increases national & energy security and promotes health & a clean environment.

What more could you ask for? Come and see.

Buy your tickets online today! Time is running out!