It's time to compel people to go green

With the growing concern for a cleaner environment, "Going Green" needs to grow from a trend and option for some to a responsibility for all. Recycling and composting should be made mandatory for all residences, apartment complexes, businesses, and available in all public places here in Elgin.

The expenses will pay for themselves after money is saved from building incinerators and landfills, and companies pay for the recycled materials to make products. This will also decrease landfill waste due to the fact that nearly 75 percent of garbage is recyclable or compostable.

By decreasing landfill waste, the tons of methane gas that is released into the atmosphere daily will decrease by the thousands. Furthermore, increased recycling will result in decreased depletion of our nonrenewable resources because companies can save money by using recycled materials as opposed to using raw materials.

It is our responsibility as residents of this planet to do everything in our power to make the environment healthy, and by making recycling and composting a mandatory practice in Elgin we can be leaders and role models for other cities resulting in a brighter, cleaner future.

Stepheni O'Sullivan

Carpentersville