Dear Recycle Lady,
Why are bats associated with Halloween?
Just Curious
Dear Just Curious,
Perhaps bats are associated with Halloween because they are rather scary looking or perhaps it is because Bat Week is celebrated October 24 – 31. Either way, bats play an important role in our ecosystem and have for more than 50 million years. Worldwide there are more than 1,400 species of bats, but only 47 species are in the US. They range in size from the one-inch bumblebee bat to the giant golden-crown bat that can have a 6-foot wingspan. Bats are the only mammals capable of true flight. They are not blind but are often considered to be as they locate prey using echolocation, which involves producing sound waves and listening for their echoes. Bats are pollinators and help plants reproduce by spreading seeds. They also help control the bug population. According to Wikipedia, it is estimated that bats save farmers in the U.S. 3 billion dollars annually in pest control services. In addition, numerous bat species provide crucial pollination and seed dispersal service. Hundreds of species of bats are endangered and one of the biggest threats to bats is the white-nose syndrome, which caused the death of millions of bats in 2012. Other threats are climate change and destruction of their natural habitats.
Dear Recycle Lady,
This morning’s paper included several colorful inserts. I couldn’t tell whether a couple of the inseerts were high-quality newsprint or slick paper. Do I recycle these inserts in with newspapers or magazines/slicks?
Confused Reader
Dear Confused Reader,
Good question and one that is often asked. Slick paper is usually glossier and heavier than newsprint. One solution is to wet a corner of the paper. A wet corner of the slick paper will not tear easily, while a wet corner of the high-quality newsprint will easily tear. The other solution is to place the questionable paper in with magazines and slicks. This is the best choice for any questionable paper as magazines and slicks are more forgiving of differences than white paper or newspaper.
Dear Recycle Lady,
Do deer and other wildlife like pumpkins? Can they be put outside for them to eat?
Like Wildlife
Dear Like Wildlife,
Deer and other wildlife do like pumpkins. Just put them out in a field or lightly forested area. One word of caution: break open your pumpkins so a hungry deer won’t get its head stuck inside! Feeding wildlife with your used pumpkins is so much better than sending them to the landfill. According to the World Economic Forum, landfills around the country receive about 900,000 tons of pumpkins each year. Food waste emits a potent greenhouse gas, methane, that generates Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and contributes to climate change. Finding a sustainable way to dispose of a Halloween pumpkin is one small way we can make Halloween activities more environmentally friendly.
Interesting Information: Did you know that the name Jack O’Lantern was used in the 1600s as the name for a lantern-carrying night watchman? At that time, “Jack” was a name used for a man whosename was not known, and was carrying a lantern, thus he was called Jack O’lantern. By the 1800s, according to Merriam-Webster, Jack O’Lantern meant “a carved pumpkin used as a lantern.” The name may have come from ancient rituals or folk tales about lantern carrying spirits. It also may have come from young pranksters who carved scary faces into pumpkins. A belated Happy Halloween to all!
Have questions about recycling, or interesting information about recycling? Send questions or requests recycleladywv@gmail.com. Dear Recycle Lady is sponsored jointly by the Greenbrier Recycling Center and Greenworks Recycling
