Pick up that trash

Thumbs up to Jackson County for doing a little thing to help clean up the environment.

The county is installing recycling containers at its parks, including Lake Jacomo, Blue Springs Lake, the Longview Lake area and the Argo Road archery area in eastern Independence.

Recycling is fundamental: It diverts material from expensive landfill space, it puts material back in the production loop, and it reduces litter – about the last thing people want to see during a pleasant day at the park.

The county is putting in some of its own money – $25,000 – for these 40 recycling containers, and it got another $100,000 from the state Department of Natural Resources and the Mid-America Regional Council.

Recycling levels aren’t near where they should be in Eastern Jackson County. This step will at least help some.