The push to recycle is getting buried at the Adams County landfill.

But at least two people are hoping to dig it out, one piece of nasty trash at a time.

Steve McNerney and his wife, Mary Jo, were all that remained Tuesday night of the once growing and active Adams County Green Alliance.

It was the alliance’s regular meeting night, but no one else showed up.

The push to recycle is most likely a victim of a sour economy. Local businessman Bubba Kaiser accepted recyclables for several weeks in the fall, but then his profits just stopped coming. Nationally, the purchase price for recyclable goods plummeted.

When he stopped accepting items, it was back to the drawing board for the Green Alliance.

Then, just months ago, the group decided to stop pursuing recycling because it was too costly.

Let’s face it; a down economy is no time to start a new project. The money may simply not exist.

But dissolving the committee, the hopes and the efforts will only land us in the bottom of a landfill.

McNerney and his wife are to be commended for trying. And the rest of us need to snap out of it and help them.

Maybe we can’t start accepting recyclables next week. But we can keep talking, keep searching for ideas and keep educating others on the importance of green living.

And when the economy turns around, Adams County won’t be left digging out.

The McNerneys can be reached at smcnerney@bellsouth.net.