Author’s Note: This is the fifth in a series featuring people from our list of nearly 200 paid (114) and free senior (80) curbside recyclers.
Kay Almond
Almond moved to Alliance in 1977 and raised a family here with her husband Del. After retiring from Alliance Public Schools in 2011 she continued working for a local credit union.
Q: How long have you been on curbside, and why did you sign up?
Almond: Since February 2023, on the senior list (which is picked up weekly free of charge).
Q: What do you recycle?
Almond: All of my cereal boxes, products like that, some corrugated (cardboard), newspaper, a lot of junk mail – I shred regular mail myself. Del’s gone, but . . . he had a lot of plastic pop bottles. Also, glass. I look on stuff to see if they have the recycling thing on it.
Q: How has this service influenced your opinion of recycling?
Almond: Recycling, that’s always something that’s been near and dear to us. It’s so easy and this is so simple. It’s a blessing, it’s (all the containers, etc.) hanging out on the counter. . . . With the once-a-week service it’s awesome. I’ve enjoyed it immensely.
Q: Newest thing you’ve added to the bag?
Almond: Heavier plastic sacks.
Q: Why do you feel it is important to recycle?
Almond: When you see all the stuff that ends up in the landfill or the ocean. I visited friends in Corpus Christi – all the trash in the ditches, they didn’t even pick it up. If we’re going to live on this planet, we need to treat it better. People are being more aware, I hope.
Q: Other “green” practices at your home?
Almond’s favorite place to bring things she no longer needs is the Collection Basket, operated by Holy Rosary Catholic Church. She has been “trying, but not really successful” in her aim to live with an environmentally friendly perspective. One step has been a move from buying retail bottles of water to refilling a Culligan jug. A new, more efficient furnace has been better for the environment.
Q: Future plans?
Almond will opt for a “greener” alternative this summer as she has her home’s siding replaced with LP smartboard, which will not require painting and is designed to create a better barrier for insects.