Just a few years ago, this place was called Dumptown. The people living here didn’t think much about where waste went when they threw it out. Things that could be reused or recycled were thrown in the trash, because nobody believed recycling made a difference. And, eventually, that became a very big problem.
The garbage heap grew and began to smell. Sometimes it caught fire, and making it hard for everyone to breathe. Dumptowners knew they had to fix it.
They learned to reduce the amount of waste they threw away. For example, they learned to reuse things—like washing out empty jars in - stead of throwing them away. And, they learned to recycle. They set up bins around town to collect glass, paper, and other things, then made into new products.