Twice a year my parents would take my sister and me to my father’s parents in Hartwell, Ga. We always rotated Christmas and Thanksgiving between South Georgia with my mother’s family and North Georgia.

Our one stop was normally for gas and Cokes and crackers. My mother always wanted a small Coke and malt crackers. I always liked the cheese cracker, still do. I pretty much followed my mother’s thinking that after Coke changed from the 6 oz. bottle size all the rest of the bottle was a waste. (I still believe the glass bottle holds the flavor of any soft drink better than plastic or cans.)

My father did not care so much about the bottle size, he was much more upset when an empty was laid down in the floor of the car allowing the bottle to roll back-and-forth under the front seat. That could easily cause a sudden stop of the car and a reprimand of the offender.

It would never cross your mind to trash the bottle out the window even though the window was down or at least partially since we did not have air conditioning … the heater and AM radio were our options. On the bottom of the bottle were the words “Return for Deposit” and that meant money. I remember getting from two cents per bottle to ten cents per bottle. (It was in the mid-’60s when the deposit went that high.)

The money for the return bottle was an incentive that I would like to see come back … along with the six-ounce Coke. I doubt either will happen but that is no reason for us not to behave as good citizens and recycle.

Here at The Times we recycle about 40 tons of newsprint per week. What does this mean to you and me as consumers? When a ton of paper is recycled, we save enough electricity from not using virgin materials to heat at home for six weeks. Georgians dump about 320,000 tons of paper in landfills each year. Knowing this also helps me to set aside paper at my home for my weekly recycling through the collection program with the City of Valdosta.

Earlier this year, I started shredding junk mail and throwing the paper into my compost bin. It is amazing how quickly the paper turns into a useable soil.

I know there are enhanced recycling programs in the works for the city and county but I don’t think we are moving fast enough. Our governments need to be as proactive as possible in putting into place recycling for our entire county. Recycling is being a good citizen and our elected officials need to encourage all efforts.

Garbage thoughts: Lowndes County is now looking at options for garbage collection. I do not think our commissioners have any choice other than curb side pickup countywide. It will be hard for some residents in the beginning but from my personal experience in two other counties, it is not something you will give up easily if you have ever had it.