When I was a child, I am not sure the word “recycle” existed as it is used today.

What did exist was the concept of using things until they were totally worn out, and then finding another use for them. We lived in a rural area and were on a well.

We knew the well could go dry in times of drought, so conservation was mandatory, both in times of drought and times of floods.

“Waste not, want not” applied to both specific objects and finances in general. The Great Depression and rationing during World War II arose daily in conversations.

As I grew up, our throwaway culture led to pollution of our air, our land and our waters. If we all think that just our own little contribution of plastic, for instance, can’t destroy the Earth, then we must realize that all of our “little contributions” put together will destroy it. God gave us one Earth, and he made us stewards of this Earth, responsible for “all of God’s creatures” and for future generations.

I believe it is our moral duty to strive to leave as small a footprint as possible in our journey through life, and recycling is one part of achieving that goal.

Cheryl Goodwin, Columbus