Scraponomics Episode 63: Paid in Ice Cream Cones
“If you want grown-ups to recycle, just tell their kids the importance of recycling, and they'll be all over it.” — Bill Nye
After Scraponomics airs on 1320 WILS, we also post each episode on our FaceBook and Twitter pages. We recently received a wonderful comment and story from Cathy Wesley-Ottarson on one of our posts that I feel is worth sharing.
Cathy mentioned how she and parents, Richard and MaryAnne Wesley, along with her brother, Greg Wesley, used to bring ledger paper to Friedland in the 1960’s. At the time, her father worked as a photographer in the MSU Agriculture Hall. She indicated that the publications released by MSU’s bulletin office were made out of a high quality ledger paper, and would be thrown away after they were out of date. So Richard, understanding that the paper still had value as a scrap commodity, asked for permission to dumpster dive and take the obsolete paper to Friedland for recycling.
Their efforts became popular enough that one department even asked them them to clean out an entire quonset hut full of papers.
She said the best part was using the money they were paid from recycling at Friedland to buy ice cream at the Tasty Freeze right on the corner of Center and Grand River, about half a block away.
“When we took stuff to the scrap yard in the 1960's we didn't know our parents were Environmentalists, Recycling for the future. We thought it was just a fun thing we did together, that paid off in ice cream cones,” she said.
It really is amazing to think that something seen as common as much as 130 years ago is once again becoming popular. To scrap is to recycle, and to be an environmentalist.
Oh, and the Tasty Freeze is still there! Now it’s called Arctic Corner. Make your way over there the next time you stop by to see us!
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