What does celebrating Mother’s Day have to do with recycling? A lot! Especially for this Swiss grandmother, whose 90-year-old, mom in Switzerland was a recycling queen even before the word RECYCLE became a household name.
Let me begin from the start.
My mom never went to college, does not have a degree in environmental science or any similar studies. But what mom has is unquestionable respect for Mother Earth.
Mom never believed much in religion but she strongly believes in the interplay of seasons and the interactions between nature and all living things.
From an early age, we children were taught to reuse and recycle anything that can be used a second time. We did not grow up poor, there was always enough of everything, but we grew up to see that a lot of ordinary items can be reused.
Here are a few examples:
Whenever we received a wrapped gift, we carefully opened up the present and saved the paper and the string for reuse.
Whenever we outgrew our homemade ski sweaters, mom would undo her knitting, roll the wool up to a neat loop, wash and dry it carefully. Then she would start to knit the recycled wool into a new item.
Whenever there were leftover vegetables or potatoes from yesterday’s meal, mom would convert them into a tasty soup for the next day.
Whenever our garden flowers faded, we collected the flower heads, dried them, and used the seeds for the next season.
Whenever we accumulated unused papers from schoolwork or mail flyers, we cut them into small size squares and put them next to the phone to use as a notepad.
We never entered a store without our shopping bags. Many years ago, when I brought my bags to my American supermarket, shoppers used to give me compliments and said things like “What a great idea!” Some people would also ask me why I would not use the bags from the store? Today I am proud to see my fellow Americans with all kinds of bags entering the supermarket.
Switzerland forces you to reduce your household garbage. How? Everyone has to buy their own pre-taxed garbage bags or little stickers, which can be affixed on the bags. The bags are priced according to their size. They can be bought in local grocery stores or directly in the town halls across the country. Yes, it is another way to tax you, but it will also make you THINK about your household waste. Most Swiss homeowners have a little compost container in the backyard for organic waste. Plastic, cardboard, textile, and cans can be brought to small recycling stations in towns and villages. In most neighborhoods, you will find recycling drop-off points for glass bottles. The Swiss are a bit neurotic about noise so there are strict regulations on recycling times. The dropping of the glass bottles could wake up your neighbors from their nighttime rest!
On Mothers Day we all have to acknowledge another special mom, actually an Über mom: MOTHER EARTH. Every day she is fighting against all the sins we humans create. Show her your love and respect - recycle & reuse!