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A Whole New World



Every once in a while something inexplicably takes my fancy - - those fire hydrants, for instance - - and today it’s an e-mail I received from the Howard County Recycling Division.

Visit the landfill from your couch!

 Perhaps I have been stuck at home for so long that even a virtual trip to Alpha Ridge is enticing. I clicked on the email to learn more:

See the landfill like never before--from your couch!

 My daughter was doing college course work on the couch, so I decided my comfy armchair would have to do. I flew off to Mariottsville courtesy of a new drone-filmed video tour. The narration helped explain what I was seeing as the video progressed. It was particularly educational for me because I have never been to Alpha Ridge. Even if you have been, I still think you will find it interesting to see it from a drone’s-eye view.

What a fascinating facility that is. Of course I have known about Howard County’s commitment to recycling and composting in a vague sort of way, but this video and the accompanying interactive visual tour of the Residents Convenience Center really completed the picture for me. I think it might even be a worthwhile virtual field trip for home bound school kids right now, or a good introduction before a family visit.

If you got that email, too, there’s a whole lot of information in it. Did you know that you can submit questions and comments about Howard County Recycling through a new online form? Maybe I can find out if you are really supposed to put the lids back on plastic bottles before you toss them in your recycling bin. If you didn’t get that email, go here to get signed up.

You’ll never be caught wondering whether it’s one of those mysterious “slide” weeks. (By the way, next week, what with the Labor Day holiday, is one of those weeks.)

So, settle into your armchair or get the whole family on the couch and take a trip to the landfill. Make it a party. Have a film festival of other Columbia/HoCo drone videos. Have snacks and drinks.

Just be sure you dispose of your wrappers and containers responsibly.







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