Temple Beth El Blog

Tu Bishvat celebrates the birthday of the trees and represents the importance of preserving our environment and respecting nature. Tu Bishvat became a favorite holiday with the Kabbalists, celebrated during a formal seder that includes the fruits of the vines and the trees. This year, the rabbi and cantor led us in a beautiful and meaningful seder in honor of this important holiday, including two breakout sessions.
At one of the breakout sessions, organized by the Kesher Israel Committee in partnership with the Environment and Climate Change Action Team (ECCAT), we were fortunate to have Rabbi Michael Cohen, in Israel, present to us by Zoom about the Israeli approach to environmental issues. He noted, “Mitigating climate change, the promotion of renewables, addressing food and water scarcity, strengthening women’s rights, working towards less violent conflict worldwide including a just settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict, are challenges we face. They call for leadership, activists, and activism. At face value they may appear separate, but on another level they are interrelated.”
For 20 years, these issues have been addressed at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, a kibbutz in the southern Israeli Arava desert valley along the Israeli-Jordanian border. Rabbi Cohen said, “The institute is dedicated to preparing future leaders from Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and around the world, to cooperatively solve the regional and global challenges of our time by advancing cross-border environmental discourse and cooperation, regardless of political conflict.” For a great overview of the information he discussed, see this article. He also shared this article as well as this additional article in advance of his presentation.
At the other breakout session, also organized by the ECCAT, we turned to something we can do locally, through a quick and informative recycling crash course. The Jewish value of bal taschit tells us "don't destroy needlessly." Recycling reduces the need to draw further resources from the earth and gives new life to products we no longer need or want, keeping them out of landfills, where they would become excess greenhouse gases that lead to global warming and climate change.
Recycling is a community effort that’s most effective when everyone does their part. In 1990 Wisconsin passed a recycling law that bans certain recyclable and compostable items from the landfill. So, in Wisconsin we recycle not just because it’s a mitzvah to not harm the earth, but because it’s the law too.
In Madison, about 12.8% of what goes into recycling bins is actually trash, which is equivalent to placing over 2,000 tons of trash in the recyclables each year. Similarly, about 13% of material in the Dane County landfill could be recycled. Based on EPA calculations, diverting all the recyclable material from landfills could save the equivalent energy used by 219,000 typical households. Given the state of the Dane County landfill, the county department of waste management is in the early steps of proposing a new sustainability campus that would include a new landfill.
Since recycling first began, recycling technologies have changed. Always check your local municipality’s recycling guidelines, which are based on the technology they have available as well as current best practices, for how to put items into your curbside bin. There are often differences in what can be recycled curbside or recycled through drop-off sites or point-of-purchase collection sites. 

Here are a few highlights of what we discussed; see the slides for more details and helpful resources.
•    Recycle more, recycle right.

• The more we recycle, the greater our positive impact on the earth can be, and it also helps businesses. 
• “Wish-cycling” (putting something in the recycling hoping it can be recycled when it can’t) is worse than just putting it in the trash. This causes added expense and contaminates our recyclables, making them less valuable.

•    Know before you throw, and when in doubt throw it out. 

• Learn what you can recycle in your area, and how to recycle each product before putting it in the recycling. If you aren’t sure, it’s better to trash it. For Madison, you can check out the Recyclopedia for more details.

•    Recyclables should be clean and dry.

• Recyclables are like dishes—clean them and they can be used again.
• Empty, clean, and dry recyclables before adding them to your cart. 
• Keep food and liquid (contaminates) out of your recycling. These reduce the quality of the recyclable material and erode the revenue municipalities receive.
• Keep the lid on your recycling cart closed to keep wet weather and animals out of your bin, which can contaminate your recyclables.

•    Size and shape matter.

• Curbside recyclables should be larger than a standard sticky note (2″ × 2″). (See slides for shredded paper instructions.) 
• Paper (including cardboard) should be flat, while the rest of the items for recycling should be kept 3D, in their original shape (don’t crush your cans or cartons).
• Replace lids on cartons to maintain shape. Remove lids from glass bottles and recycle separately. 
• Both refrigerated and shelf-stable cartons can be recycled if clean and dry, with their lids on.

•    Keep it loose: Don’t bag your recyclables, and keep plastic bags out of your recycling cart.

• Place recyclables loose into the cart! 
• Garbage should be bagged.
• Bagged recyclables are contaminates.

If you must use a plastic bag for recycling, use a clear bag so sorters can identify what is inside as recyclable. If the bag is not see-through, it will be assumed to be trash.

• Plastic bags and plastic film need special handling and do not go in curbside bins.
• Do not place plastic bags or plastic film into your curbside recycling cart. (Reuse when possible.) They get tangled in the sorting equipment, slowing down the process. 
• Collect clean and dry plastic bags together and bring to point-of-purchase recycling collection spots. 
• Many stores offer take-back programs that will recycle these materials. For a list of the stores where you can return bags, visit the Plastic Bags page at www.cityofmadison.com/recycling.

•    Periodically check your local guidelines for updates.

• As of December 2021, Madison residents can now recycle empty and dry paper cups. 
  • Remove and discard any plastic lids and straws. 
  • Cardboard sleeves around takeout coffee cups should be removed and placed separately into the recycling. 

•    Recycle oral care products.

• Artisan Dental recycling program is the first oral care products recycling program in the Dane County area. 
• The program is designed to help keep toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, floss containers, deodorant containers, soap wrappers, and mouthwash containers out of landfills.
• This project supports Feeding America.

•    Look for How2Recycle labels that provide clear instructions on how to recycle on item. Encourage companies to adopt this standard.