Letter to the Editor – February 2021

The Editor:

After ignoring our adored community for over 50 years Whatcom County has now decided, it seems, that its OK for anyone to move here and take all the trees on their new property down. Did our home here disintegrate without the county’s watchful eye in the previous decades? NO … The environment here flourished. Their interest in us now is motivated by $$$$$. Do they not care at all about the real possibility of this rain forest not existing at some point? I believe it should be protected.

I would like to encourage folks here that care, to think carefully about who we elect in office when new elections come up. Having someone in office that has a sound mind and passion for such a precious area as ours would be beneficial to the conservation and preservation of it.

I am speaking of large amounts of trees, not the odd one that prevents you from building a house. Enough left so flower, fauna, coniferous, deciduous can rebound and still be a home to our wild friends … those that bring us so much joy, a must for good life.        

If this seems hard to digest, think about the pure fresh air we breathe here because of the trees, the stillness that allows the voices of our wildlife that sing to us in the day and the night, the vegetation that feeds the wildlife, and everything that moved inside yourself when you thought to move here. Embrace it don’t erase it, please!

Ellen Roth

Point Roberts

The Editor:

My name is Paul Hagen and I am from Waupaca, Wisconsin. About 20 years ago my dad took me to visit Point Roberts and I have been fascinated ever since.

I read articles and watch YouTube videos about Point Roberts. The reason for including my email address (4hagen@charter.net) was I was wondering if there would be anyone there who would like to correspond with me, sort of like a modern day pen pal.

I would very much like to hear of life there from someone who is a resident.   I would be happy to share of my life here in Wisconsin. I have the ability to video chat also. My goal is to visit Point Roberts again in early ’22 or perhaps sooner. 

Best regards and thank you.

Paul Hagen

Waupaca, Wisconsin

The Editor:

Point Roberts, while geographically unique, it has something else unique – a successful new residential recycling initiative. In January, 2020, Cando Recycling and Disposal, which provides recycling and sanitation collection services to Point Roberts, launched a pilot program in the community for residential curbside recycling of plastic film, which aims to help reduce plastic waste.

Addressing the rise in plastic waste is a major challenge for American coastal towns and cities in between, and current solutions for reducing our plastic waste footprint are falling short. While plastic film is recyclable at thousands of store take-back locations across the United States, in practice only four percent of the material is recycled on average. 

That’s why Cando partnered with SC Johnson, an industry-leading manufacturer of household consumer brands, to launch a pilot program that makes recycling plastic film more convenient for Point Roberts residents by adding the material as an accepted item within the curbside recycling program. Residents can now recycle clean and dry plastic film material including grocery bags, storage bags such as Ziploc® brand bags, dry-cleaning bags, bubble wrap and other flexible plastic film at the curbside for collection. The goal of the program is to increase access to recycling options for plastic film which will in turn help improve recycling rates and send less plastic materials to the landfill. 

Since the launch of the pilot program, Cando Recycling has collected more than 1,323 lbs. of plastic film from local residents – that’s over 1,323 lbs. that’s been diverted from the landfill. The collected material is being sent to a recycling facility where it is processed and ultimately used by manufacturers to make new products made from recycled materials. The program has also resulted in a benefit for residents – a $0.44 reduction in the garbage and recycling fee. This reduction is a direct result of diverting plastic film from the landfill and is significant at a time when many other communities are increasing their rates.

With more residents working, learning, and shopping from home during the pandemic, there has been an increased demand for residential recycling and sanitation collection services. Thus, now more than ever, curbside recycling of plastic film is one solution that helps divert more plastic film from the landfill while helping communities continue to meet their sustainability goals.

While residential curbside recycling of plastic film has not been widely adopted in Washington or across the country yet, Cando Recycling hopes Point Roberts’ successful program can show other communities that it can be done, is convenient for residents and benefits the environment. Other communities can reap the same benefits by adopting a curbside collection program for recycling plastic film. 

To learn more about the program please visit www.candord.com.

T. Hansen

Cando Recycling and Disposal

This story was updated January 29 to include Ellen Roth's letter to the editor.