I am a dedicated recycler who happens to live in Daphne at the top of a truly steep driveway that detours solicitors better than a rabid pit bull.

I use a rolling garbage cart to wrangle my recycling bins up and down the drive each week. One recent, blustery morning as my loaded cart of rattling cans, bottles and flapping pizza boxes was headed down to the street, I caught a tailwind that nearly drove me into the path of a school bus. (I have had the same experience with the new garbage can that is big enough to serve as a life-size jack-in-the-box.)

Even as I struggle each week to drag my bins up and down the hill, I think how lucky we are to have curbside recycling pick-up and I am puzzled at how few people in Daphne recycle.

Here are some facts to know about recycling in Daphne:

• You do not have to separate your recyclables.
• There is a garbage truck on loan from the county being used to pick up recycling that is not marked as a recycling truck — but do not worry. Your recycling is being collected and not going to the landfill.
• Our city sells recyclables, but Daphne has to pay to dispose of garbage. The recycling program currently only recovers a third of the expenses it costs the city but it is the right thing to do. If more residents participated, we could offset that cost greatly and save on what is spent at the landfill.
• If you need a recycling bin, you can pick one up at Public Works. They even allow people to use other containers if you just will mark it “recycle.”
• For a list of acceptable recyclable items go to www.daphneal.com and look under “Public Works.”
• Daphne recycles electronics too, though they do not pick them up. You can drop them off at Daphne Public Works during office hours.
• If you miss recycling pick-up, there is an unmanned recycling drop-off at Daphne Public Works open seven days a week.

We can reduce the bulk going into landfills and help conserve our natural resources by recycling.

In Daphne, all we have to do is get it to the curb in a blue bin instead of the big green can.