The Plattsburgh Area League of Women Voters, with help from Casella Waste Systems, has completed a project more than a year in the process: It has compiled an expansive list of where people can get a vast array of materials recycled or reused instead of throwing them away.

What a valuable service the league has thus performed for all of us.

The league was provoked to action because of the obvious disparity in how things are recycled, both locally in the North Country and statewide. Some haulers in the North Country will separate out certain materials for recycling, but others separate out other, different materials. Some materials cannot be recycled hereabouts, though they are recycled in other parts of the state. The league questioned why that was true and decided to not only define what can be recycled but to help people who resist putting items into the landfill find venues for reuse.

The result is a list of well more than 100 sites where scores of items — from appliances to yogurt containers — can be turned in for reuse or recycling.

Casella runs landfill operations in Clinton and Franklin counties. It has been an eager partner with its host counties since it first took over their landfills, always responsive to the desires of local people to recycle rather than just putting everything into the ground. Even when recycling doesn't net much money for anybody — that market varies from time to time and from material to material — Casella has understood and appreciated the wisdom of sparing the Earth as much abuse as possible.

Casella has printed the league's recycling pamphlet, called Think Green!, and the league is now trying to get it distributed to as many people and places as possible so it will do the most good.

If you go to the Press-Republican's Web site — pressrepublican.com — you'll find a complete list of items and places where they can be turned in, as well as a complete list of Clinton County convenience drop-off sites for trash and recyclable materials.

This takes in much more than the conventional paper, cardboard, plastics and metal. Medical supplies, ink and toner, movies and tapes, toys, tires, wine corks, glasses, hearing aids and fluorescent light bulbs, batteries are only a few of the items listed in the pamphlet. Just consider the immense amount of damage to the ground that would be averted if everybody did all they could to keep these types of materials circulating, rather than being buried.

The league's message via the pamphlet is: "Recycle; reuse; donate; don't take it to the landfill. Give it to people who can use it."

Many people went to a lot of trouble to get this information assembled and distributed. Heed its message and join in the Earth-saving effort.