Have you noticed Iron Mountain is a city that has many alleys? On garbage day, many of the garbage containers in these numerous alleys are full.

Having conquered the elusive science of weights and measures, the results are concerning:

55% of the volume of material put into and around these garbage containers is recyclable. This percentage is ridiculous.

These are several local places residents can take their recyclable material:

1. City of Iron Mountain Public Works Department: No. 1 and No. 2 plastic year-round; and metal in warmer months.

2. Trico Industries in Kingsford: Cardboard, paper board, all kinds of paper.

3. Great American Disposal collection site in Quinnesec: Cardboard and other paper, plastic, aluminum, oil and batteries.

Please give these options consideration. You can be partially responsible for greatly reducing the volume at landfill sites, and thus extending the life of these sites.

Recycling reduces the amount of raw material that has to be pumped out, cut down and processed.

I hope we can agree that recycling is a good thing.

Please do your small part — it will add up to a significant and real change.