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SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016
ASK A MASTER RECYCLER
Commingling and the value of recycling
S USY L ACER , M ASTER R ECYCLER
A MONTHLY COLUMN OF RECYCLING INFORMATION
PROVIDED BY F LORENCE M ASTER R ECYCLERS
For the Siuslaw News
Q. This year I resolve to clean up
my recycling act. How do I know
what can go in my curbside bin, and
what should be left out?
A. We like that resolution!
Commingled, curbside recycling is
very convenient and has helped
increase recycling rates statewide,
from 27 percent in 1991 to 50 per-
cent in 2013. However, when well-
meaning customers place unaccept-
able items in the bin, it causes issues
for those working in the materials
recovery field.
The automated systems that have
helped make commingled recycling
feasible, by sorting the mixed recy-
cling items into separate categories
at the Materials Recovery Facility,
can be damaged and fail when plas-
tic bags or other incorrect items are
placed in the bin. When unaccept-
able items are placed curbside, they
are sent to the wrong facility and
will end up being trashed.
We understand the desire to recy-
cle as much material as possible.
There is even a name for the phe-
nomenon: wishful recycling. We
wish it was recyclable and we
believe it should be recyclable, so
we add it to the bin.Unfortunately,
that doesn’t work.
Every waste hauler has different
items they will accept in commin-
gled recycling, based on the
Materials Recovery Facility they
deliver to. In Florence, we have two
waste haulers; they deliver to differ-
ent Materials Recovery Facilities
and so have slightly different accept-
able items.
Contact your waste hauler for a
current list of correct and incorrect
materials. If you’re unsure on a spe-
cific item, give them a call. They
welcome inquiries and are happy to
offer suggestions on recycling
options:
Central Coast Disposal, 541-902-
7554, and County Transfer and
Recycling, 541-997-8233.
For more information on commin-
gled recycling and ways to improve
your recycling success, as well as
commingled options available at the
Lane County Transfer station, visit
www.lanecounty.org/commingled
recycling.
Q. Is it really worth it to recycle?
Are those recovered materials actu-
ally re-used?
A. The Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality (DEQ)
addressed this issue in an article
posted Oct. 15, 2015, “Oregon DEQ
Response to John Tierney’s New
York Times opinion piece, The
Reign of Recycling.”
The DEQ article highlights the
importance of recycling to the
Oregon economy and notes that
many businesses statewide depend
on using recycled materials.
For instance, paper mills that pro-
duce new paper from recycled office
paper, junk mail and cardboard. Or a
plastics manufacturing plant that
uses plastic bottles redeemed via the
Bottle Bill to create feedstock for
making new bottles.
Likewise a glass facility that uses
recycled glass bottles to produce
new bottles, and a steel mill that
relies on scrap metal to make steel.
These Oregon businesses rely on
recovered materials collected during
recycling, including those collected
here in Florence.
The DEQ article concludes,
“Oregon has been a leader in recy-
cling, first with the Bottle Bill in
1971, followed by the first statewide
Recycling Opportunity Act in 1983
and then continuing with statewide
Materials Management legislation
(Senate Bills 245 and 263) this year.
“DEQ supports recycling when it
makes sense: when it helps reduce
pollution, saves money and con-
serves natural resources. Recycling
continues to have long-term value.”
The short answer to your question
is yes, it’s worth it!
Florence Master Recyclers (MR)
are part of the Lane County Master
Recycler Program, a service of the
county’s Public Works Waste
Management Division since 2002.
The mission of the MR program is
to bridge the gap between awareness
and action by motivating people to
reduce solid waste at home, work
and play.
This monthly column, written for
the Siuslaw News, answers common-
ly asked recycling questions.
For more recycling information,
visit www.ci.florence.or.us/building/
recycling or www.lanecounty.org/
departments/PW/WMD/Recycle or
follow Master Recyclers of Florence
on Facebook.
Our Prostate Cancer Journey — Part 3
B Y R AY AND M ARILYN B ARBA
CANCER SURVIVOR
Following is part of a series
of true personal stories about
men’s experience with prostate
cancer. These men tell their sto-
ries with the hope that they will
help someone else traveling the
same road.
B
efore I finish the third
and latest chapter of
our Prostate Cancer
Journey, Marilyn and I want
to wish everyone a Happy
(Healthy) New Year.
After my Radical Robotic
Prostatectomy on Friday,
March 13, 2015, a detailed
prostate biopsy report raised
more concerns than clarity.
The cancer on my prostate’s
lower margins was inconclu-
sive enough to determine
whether the cancer had been
contained in the prostate gland.
Additionally, the biopsy
showed a cluster of cancer cells
gathered around some of the
gland’s blood vessels … sug-
gesting it was, at least, close to
spreading outside the prostate.
One point from the report
was clear. It was time to give it
the “one-two-three punch!”
The second punch is a series
of hormone (testosterone) dep-
rivation shots every six months
for two years, which began
three months after my surgery.
Cancer cells feed on testos-
terone and the Lupron injec-
tions stop production of that
hormone — in essence, stop-
ping cancer cells from spread-
ing by starving them.
We had booked a three week
visit to the East Coast for a visit
with Marilyn’s family in
September. It gave us comfort
to know we could go without
worrying if the cancer that may
be undetectable would spread.
The third “punch” was radia-
tion. Dr. Bryan Mehlhaff
requested our permission for
him to enroll me in a study
called “Decipher,” a prostate
cancer classifier.
He was concerned with me
being the seventh male in my
father’s family diagnosed with
prostate cancer. My paternal
grandfather died from the dis-
ease.
The Decipher study would
provide Dr. Mehlhaff clinical
data for my genomic risk of
developing metastasis within
five years of a radical prostate-
ctomy.
The study showed I had a
significantly higher than aver-
‘Winding Stream’ director to visit Florence
This Friday, Jan. 15, at 6:30
p.m., City Lights Cinemas
celebrates this year’s Winter
Music Festival, happening
Jan. 16 to 17, at Florence
Events Center, with a screen-
ing of “The Winding Stream,”
a
documentary
about
America’s country music roy-
alty.
The film traces roots music
back to the Carter and the
Cash families, when the origi-
nal Carter Family, A.P. Carter,
his wife Sara and his sister-in-
law Maybelle, became three
of the biggest stars of early
country music.
In addition to the special
screening, Beth Harrington,
the director of the award-win-
ning film, will travel to
Florence for the showing.
“I’m excited about showing
the film in Florence. The story
of the first family of country
music seems to be resonating
in many different places
we’ve
played,”
said
Harrington. “I’m curious to
see how folks attending the
show at the City Lights
Cinemas react and to hear
their comments and answer
their questions. It’s my
favorite part of screening the
film now.”
The film also features inter-
views and studio performanc-
es from Johnny and June
Carter Cash, George Jones,
Rosanne Cash, Sheryl Crow,
Kris Kristofferson and many
others.
“It’s a perfect complement
to a weekend of great music,”
says Michael Falter, owner of
City Lights Cinemas.
The director will be selling
merchandise, including DVDs
and CDs, at the screening,
will introduce the film and be
there for a Q&A session after
the screening.
The film plays one time
only, 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan.
15.
Tickets are available in
advance or at the door.
Cost is $6.50 for City
Lights members, $8 for stu-
dents, seniors and military
and $9 for regular admission.
More information on the
film can be found at www.
thewindingstream.com.
Denture Services, Inc.
age risk of clinical recurrence
within five years.
I consulted with Radiation
Oncologist Dr. Kevin Forsythe
at Oregon Urology Institute,
who designed my radiation
treatment program using the
pathologist’s prostate reports as
well as consultations with Dr.
Mehlhaff.
I began my 40 “designer”
treatments of radiation therapy
Oct. 13, 2015.
That meant 40 trips to
Springfield. What a lifesaver
the community-funded Friends
of Florence Van was!
I was treated with genuine
respect by every staff member
at Oregon Urology Institute,
the Van Fans Volunteers and
our new friends at Us TOO
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• Dentures
• Partials
• Relines
• Repairs
• Implant Retained Dentures
Sherry
Offi ce Manager
FREE CONSULTATIONS
William A. Foster, L.D.
“Locally Owned and Operated”
Serving the Central Oregon Coast Emergency Appointments Available
Denture Services, Inc.
524 Laurel Street, Florence • 541-997-6054
nology and treatment options.
The rest of the group that
was present got informed right
along with us and we learned
from one another. I wholeheart-
edly encourage anyone wanting
more information on prostate
cancer to attend an “Us TOO
Florence” meeting. Call Bob
Horney at 541-997-6626 for
meeting times and locations.
Dr. Mehlhaff, Dr. Hoff and
Dr. Forsythe are some of the
best Urology specialists in the
nation. But more than that, they
never forget that they are not
just treating the cancer, but real
men who, unfortunately, hap-
pen to have the disease.
Men like me.
Our partners and families
can never thank them enough.
COMPLETE DENTURE SERVICE
William A. Foster, L.D
Denture wearer
Florence, which is the local
Prostate Cancer Education and
Support Group.
Bob Horney is dedicated as
he leads the “Us TOO
Florence” chapter. The chap-
ter’s support has been a price-
less, constant source of infor-
mation,
community
and
encouragement.
We attend the two meetings
each month, with a urologist
usually present — talk about
educating and encouraging a
group of patients and their
loved ones.
We have the opportunity to
get questions answered by the
doctors without having to wait
for our next appointment.
Drs. Mehlhaff and Hoff kept
us up to date on the latest tech-
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Us TOO Flor ence
