Garbage almost spills out of our homes. We discard so much over the course of our lives that the magic of its removal seems commonplace. Place garbage in bin. Bin gets dumped. Out of sight, out of mind. But it always goes somewhere, even if we don’t know – or care to know – where that is.

It is incumbent that we join the rest of the world in understanding the limited space we live in. Even in the off chance that nothing comes of the city commission’s proposal for curbside recycling, there’s no reasonable excuse for not recycling for ourselves anyway.

Communities around the world have realized the necessity of recycling, yet Emporians only now are coming to terms. Currently, Emporians can take their trash to several locations throughout the city to dump their recyclables.

But the reasons for providing a curbside option are self-evident. It’s a convenient solution to the growing problem of material accumulation. In a world where sustainable development has only recently gained a stronghold in industrial countries, we cannot afford to remain idle, awaiting the day when we must literally dig ourselves out of the mess we have already made.

In general, Emporia is not a dirty town. This is both a blessing and curse. It provides us with a scenic and inviting personality that attracts students, families and businesses to set up shop. However, it also disassociates us from the problem of trash. What we don’t see, we don’t perceive as a problem. But it is. A curbside recycling program would not only facilitate a cleaner Emporia, but a cleaner world even if we don’t observe it every day.

The only major consideration is cost to the tax payer. There is no guarantee that there would be an additional tax associated with this service, nor do we know if the service would be mandatory. These are quarrels that can and should happen in the planning process. What should not happen, though, is a wholesale rejection of a curbside program based on these objections. This is an opportunity for lawmakers to provide a worthwhile service for the city that should not fall prey to fiscal infighting. Ultimately, if taxes are inevitable, then they should clearly be used for a no-brainer, like a recycling program.

Perhaps this will be one of the rare instances in which everyone can agree on a solution. The real tragedy would be a stalemate due to lack of interest. The issue of environmental protection, though not readily apparent in our lives as students at Emporia State, is of paramount concern to the health of our global community.