The folks in charge of Lincoln’s recycling posted two photos on Facebook on Monday morning.
A pile of paper and a hand holding a wedding ring.
They represented a happy ending for Alex Fraser — whose ring fell into the mixed-paper bin at one of the city’s recycling dropoff sites in early December.
“It was probably not the first time I’d lost it,†the Lincoln woman said. “But usually it’s around the house.â€
This time, the ruby and diamond ring ended up in a big metal dumpster at 12th and South streets.
Fraser was driving home after doing her part of extending the life of Lincoln’s landfill when she noticed the ring missing and turned around. She called the recycling department’s phone number — maybe it could lend her a ladder? — and Environmental Health Educator Ryan Becker picked up.
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“He came out and hopped right in there.â€
It took Becker less than 10 minutes to sift through the half-filled dumpster and come up with the ring.
The city gets occasional calls about missing items, said Willa DiCostanzo, waste diversion coordinator at the city’s Solid Waste Management Division.
Keys mostly.
They once recovered a cardboard box that held screws to put a desk together, accidentally tossed out and also found by Becker.
They went public with the photos this week as a reminder.
Two reminders, actually.
One: If you drop something in a recycling bin, the sooner you call for help, the better.
Last year, the city recycled 7,000 tons of materials — 925 tons of which were mixed paper, DiCostanzo said.
“Once it gets to the tipping floor, it becomes a challenge to find anything."
And the second reminder?
Look closely at the photo of the half-filled bin, there among the advertising circulars and the electric bill stubs and the party invites.
“There is Styrofoam in there and we don’t like that,†she said. “It’s a good reminder this holiday season to recycle correctly.â€
Columnist Cindy Lange-Kubick's memorable stories from 2019
Cindy Lange-Kubick's most memorable: Based in Washington
It was a thrill to be in Washington to see the great Ponca leader from Nebraska take his rightful place in the U.S. Capitol.
Cindy's Lange-Kubick's most memorable: Working the line
As journalists we need to shine a light on important issues. The meatpacking industry -- how we get our food and the dangerous work of those who provide it – is one such issue. This story is a reminder that we need to do better.
Cindy's Lange-Kubick's most memorable: Moments matter
This story about a little boy with a fatal disease and the love of his family and community, remind me that moments do matter.
Cindy's Lange-Kubick's most memorable: A work of art
February is one of my favorite months to come to work and try to uncover important stories of African-Americans in Lincoln, some of them lost to time. I fell in love with Anna and her talent.
Cindy's Lange-Kubick's most memorable: A governor's snub
Read, read, read. I learned so much from this book and was saddened the our governor did not take the time to read it before deciding it was unworthy of a proclamation.