Natchez residents, and some in the high-density residential areas of Adams County, are fortunate to have available curbside recycling, thanks to a grant from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.

Many communities clamor for curbside recycling opportunities, only to have those denied because of the costs of the program.

Recycling what we can, meaning removing items from the pile of waste we produce each week that simply gets taken to a landfill, is the right thing to do for our world. Certainly no one still needs to be convinced recycling is worth the effort.

Similar recycling programs have ended in other communities because a high percentage of the items put out for pick up have been contaminated or mixed with items that are not recyclable.

In Natchez and some areas of Adams County, residents can place in their blue recycle bins any No. 1 and No. 2 plastic items, such as beverage bottles, condiment containers, milk jugs and shampoo bottles.

However, No. 2 plastic food trays cannot be recycled.

Paper and cardboard products, such as newspapers, magazines, phone books can be recycled, as long as they are dry.

Metal cans, including aluminum and steel vegetable and soup cans, are also recyclable.

However, plastic items such as Styrofoam cups, Solo cups and plastic bags, as well as glass, wax-covered cardboard and televisions or computer equipment may not be recycled.

Taking care to only put recyclable items out for pick up will go along way toward helping keep the program here.

What better gift can we leave our children than a cleaner world? That’s a gift worth a little extra effort.