Stepping Up My Game Through the Support and Assistance of Others

I would not be able to do what I do in the degree that I do it if it weren’t for the people who have helped me and supported me.

The lady I mentioned earlier that I work with helps pull cans and bottles out of the trash for me. She reminds others that there is a recycling box there. She takes care of my recycling when I’m off! I will come into work and find recycling separated and bagged and hidden under the sink, so it doesn’t get thrown out; so that it doesn’t get out of control and someone tosses the mess.

My future husband, while he kindly nags me about my recycling, has always supported me in his own way. He helps me carry in my bags after work so that my car doesn’t get too messy. He makes sure I keep on top of organizing my recycling. He lets me know when it’s getting out of hand. He puts up with me when we stuff his car full of recycling to take to the center. He accepts me and my mission.

My roommates are amazing because they allow me to have an area specifically for recycling, both inside and outside. They let me set up bins and bags in the corner of the kitchen, so everything is easily accessible to organize. They try to remember to recycle things, and if they forget, I don’t bother them about it; I’ll happily take it out of the trash. They let me use the shed in the backyard to keep my large trash bags of recycling in one space until it’s time to take them to the center. They put up with my organized mess and I am grateful for it.

Recently, I’ve achieved a new level, a breakthrough if you will. There is a couple who come to our store to pull the trash and clean it throughout the day. And if I was in the break room when they were pulling the trash, they would hand me a can or bottle I missed from the bag before they threw it out. And then, they started doing something that I never expected; they took it upon themselves to put on gloves and LOOK for recycling for me. They took an extra bag with them, and as they went around the store, they started going through the trash cans for me.

Imagine my surprise when I went into the breakroom after coming back from lunch and finding a trash bag half full of recycling by my box! An hour ago, that wasn’t there. I had no idea who it was. Until the next day, I was in my department when they came around to pull our trash and smiled while handing me a bag of recycling!

I was shocked, and so honored that I’d inspired them to do this! I could have never dreamed of someone doing that. This was a different level than my coworker who grabbed things out of the break room trash for me. These people were giving themselves an additional job, that I’m sure took up quite a bit of time. And they were doing it for me.

And as you can imagine, the amount of recycling I started gathering since then has grown exponentially. In one week, I now collected three large black trash bags of plastic bottles, and two of aluminum cans. It made me realize just how much waste was really out there.

When I was just collecting from the break room and here or there around the store, I still took in a lot over a week or two. But now I had nearly doubled my intake of recycling.

Luckily, these kind people only do this for me when they know I am working that day. And since I only work three days a week there, it hasn’t gotten too overwhelming with this additional help.

Nonetheless, this is a relatively recent occurrence, and I haven’t yet felt myself be spread out too thin. I don’t think at this time it’s at a tipping point or anything, and my shed isn’t about to be full just yet. Being that it is summer, I don’t like to drive much so I don’t make as many trips down to the center as I do in the cooler months.

I have also had the pleasure of forming a sort of relationship with the people who work at the recycling center. They remember me when I show up. They wave at me when they see my car. They come over and help me with my recycling. The ask how my art is coming along, how work is going.

I showed up one day over the summer, a day that I hadn’t eaten very much, and they came over and brought me a frozen ice pop that had electrolytes in it! I was so thankful for it. They are such kind, friendly people. I enjoy going to see them, and ask how they are doing, and talk about life and recycling. I even give them books from my trunk if I’m on the way to the youth shelter. Seeing those guys are worth the journey more than the money I get from going there.

Lastly, all the people that have saved me their recycling, or made a point to get a bottle or can to me, I wouldn’t be able to do as much if it wasn’t for them. When you add up all the individual people who bring me things throughout the day or hand it to me in passing, it makes up a significant portion of my recycling.

Without everyone who has helped or supported me in some way, I wouldn’t be able to accomplish what I do. And I am eternally grateful for them.