Mommy Greenest, A Grave Situation

Steven Averett, Content Director, Waste Group

February 1, 2008

2 Min Read
Waste360 logo in a gray background | Waste360

Mommy Greenest

For countless eons, moms have been nagging us to take the trash out, so it should come as little surprise that they're also among the most ardent recyclers. What is surprising is that, according to a recent study, homemakers are more ecologically aware than what is often assumed to be the “greenest” demographic: college students.

Scientists at the University of Granada assessed the recycling skills of around 500 university students and 150 homemakers. Based on that survey, researchers found that the homemakers were more likely to separate glass from their garbage than college students, despite those students identifying themselves as environmentally conscious. The researchers attribute the disparity to the comparative ease of dropping recyclables in a curbside bin, whereas students often live in dorms or apartments and must make a greater effort to recycle.

An alternate theory suggests the students, like, totally forgot.
Source: Scientific American

A Grave Situation

Garbage haulers generally know more about putting trash in the ground than people, but when Parsippany, N.J., garbage truck driver Robert Hummer discovered a grave marker in the back of his truck, he knew something was up. Hummer, who was operating the truck's unloader manually due to ice, spotted the stone tumbling out into the landfill along with other debris. Wading through the trash to get a better look, he discovered that the granite slab belonged to Korean War veteran James F. Fetten of Brick Township, N.J., who had died only five months earlier at age 75.

Hummer, himself a former Marine, was determined to discover why the headstone wound up in the trash. He tracked down a phone number for Fetten, but, perhaps unsurprisingly, found no one home. With the help of his sister, he was able to contact Fetten's son Robert, who confirmed that the marker had been stolen shortly after his father's funeral. Happy to have it returned, the younger Fetten said the stone will be reinstalled to mark James Fetten's grave, which hopefully is located far from any trash receptacles.
Source: The Express-Times

About the Author

Steven Averett

Content Director, Waste Group, Waste360

Steven Averett joined the Waste Age staff in February 2006. Since then he has helped the magazine expand its coverage and garner a range of awards from FOLIO, the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) and the Magazine Association of the Southeast (MAGS). He recently won a Gold Award from ASBPE for humor writing.

Before joining Waste Age, Steven spent three years as the staff writer for Industrial Engineer magazine, where he won a gold GAMMA Award from MAGS for Best Feature. He has written and edited material covering a wide range of topics, including video games, film, manufacturing, and aeronautics.

Steven is a graduate of the University of Georgia, where he earned a BA in English.

Stay in the Know - Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Join a network of more than 90,000 waste and recycling industry professionals. Get the latest news and insights straight to your inbox. Free.

You May Also Like