Many people probably do not even realize that today is Earth Day.
Earth Day, celebrated April 22, is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment. It was founded by U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year, according to Wikipedia.
Earth Day has come a long way since the ’70s. There is a big push for “green” living today, and it seems there are more and more environmentally-related events each year. So, it is very disappointing there are still those who seem not to appreciate our earth.
These attitudes need to change and to turn over this new leaf, there are several earth and environmentally-conscious events in East Peoria this month.
The Clean Sweep, a city-wide effort by city staff and volunteers to pick up trash along roadsides, took place Saturday. Volunteers picked up 400 bags of trash, equaling about 6 tons!
We applaud this effort and thank all of those who participated.
It is shameful that people litter, but it is great to live in a community in which there are those people who put forth an effort to ensure its cleanliness.
Today, the Tazewell County Health Department and the Environmental Protection Agency is conducting an unwanted medicine collection in conjunction with Earth Day.
This is an important event that does help the Earth because what people may not realize is that if they flush these old medications — or new ones — down the toilet, it could contaminate our water supply. Medicine that is flushed is not removed at wastewater treatment facilities and may be harmful to private septic systems.
And if the unwanted medicines are thrown in the landfill, it is likely not good for the soil. The contaminated soil could come back to haunt us someday.
So, please take advantage of this unwanted medicine collection from 4 to 7 p.m. today at the Festival Building and dispose of these items in the proper way.
There is also a city-wide curbside clean up for East Peoria residents the first week in May.
East Peoria residents should be thankful for this bi-annual program and take advantage of it.
Junk and large items such as couches, mattresses and water heaters can be tossed out with a resident’s trash.
By offering this service, city leaders provide a convenient way to get rid of unwanted stuff.
Unfortunately, some lazy people still throw junk in ravines. There is no excuse for this behavior, which is illegal. It is ridiculous that people would litter in this way, or any way, when there are places like Goodwill, South Side’s Mission Mart and the Salvation Army in which to donate items.
The city also offers a great recycling program. Residents can pick up two free recycling bins from the East Peoria Public Works Department.
It is great to learn that 54 percent of the city’s population is now recycling. We would love to see this number grow.
There are many ways to be kind to the earth in addition to the ones we mentioned. So, take time today, or any day, to plant a tree, pick up some litter, recycle or be more energy efficient. Remember, we only have one earth; let’s take care of it.
East Peoria, Ill. —
