-
colonists
-
Period: to
recycling through the years
Where i got my infoColonists collect rags to be used in making paper for, among other things, the printing of money for a rebellious new nation. They have to import some rags from Europe. -
cotton
Cotton is scarce, and scrap wool is collected for use in stuffing mattresses and making saddles and military uniforms and blankets. Recycled wool was called "shoddy." -
immigrant
Immigrant and poor families comb the streets for rags and bones and goods to repair and sell. They lived on streets with names such as "Bottle Alley" and "Ragpicker's Row." -
paper mill
Waldorf Paper Mill opens in the Midway area between Minneapolis and St. Paul. With no forests nearby, the recycling mill uses scrap paper from the Twin Cities. -
WWI
People eat "meatless and wheatless" and collect scrap. But large-scale wartime recycling never takes hold because the United States was in the war for a short time. -
roaring 20's
During the Roaring '20s, Americans begin to embrace a consume-and-waste lifestyle. Recycling and re-using, once done by all, is now considered low-class behavior. -
depression
During the Depression, many people hang onto what they have, fixing and making do or doing without. They save the odd shoe or piece of string, "just in case it's needed later." -
WWII
If you didn't recycle, you were aiding the enemy. A poster featuring a Japanese soldier read: "Honorable Spy Say: Thanks for the can you throw away." -
1960-70 hippies
Hippies and other counterculture types embrace recycling and re-use. Groups operate voluntary recycling centers, often in conjunction with food co-ops. -
landfills
The garbage barge Mobro roams the Eastern Seaboard, looking for a place to unload. The well-publicized dilemma makes landfills and recycling hot issues. -
Minnesota
Curbside recycling becomes law in Minnesota. Block captains set out signs weekly, reminding their neighbors that "Tomorrow Is Your Recycling Day." -
Minnestoa, 46%
In Minnesota, 46 percent of all garbage generated is recycled, the highest recycling rate in the nation. -
Minnesota and China
Recycling contributes millions to the state's economy. Meanwhile, recycling goes global. Minnesota scrap travels to markets across the country and even to China.