I recently discovered that Green Dog Pet Supply, down the street from me, has a blog. You may find it interesting if you have a pet or like animals. However, I also discovered an interesting post that can be appreciated by anyone, even if they hate animals! (Side note: if you really hate animals, you are probably a bad person, so may still not care about other important issues. Not that I am judgmental or anything.)

The writer of the blog recently returned from a trip on which they used three different airlines. (Whew! Sounds like a terrible trip to me!) None of the three recycled the large number of aluminum cans used on the trip. Recycling is kind of back in the environmentalism-for-dummies category, right? One of those things everyone knows they are supposed to do?

Some facts on recycling cans:

• Aluminum can be recycled an infinite number of times
• The energy saved by recycling one aluminum can could power a TV for three hours.
• 40 aluminum cans recycled saves the amount of energy of one gallon of gas.
• The energy saved by recycling one ton of aluminum is equal to about the amount of electricity an average house uses in 10 years.
• If each consumer recycled one more aluminum can per week this would equal about 15 billion cans.
• GreenBiz.com reported airlines toss enough cans each year to build 58 new 747s.

Whaddya think, airlines? Is that not reason enough? How hard would it be to have a separate trash receptacle for cans? It is not as if throwing them away makes them stop taking up space, so recycling wouldn't take any MORE room.

Beyond simple ethics and math, what about money? We have all heard how the airlines have been struggling to stay afloat. Recycling cans, as all of us broke "greenies" know, makes money--or at least returns money we have already spent. Sorting recycling on one's own generally saves money in trash service as well.

In 2007, Delta airlines became the first air carrier to implement a recycling program, though may other still lag far, far behind. Several airlines leave it up to their flight attendants, airports and catering companies--which somehow does not feel convincing to me.

While we wait for the airlines to clean up their act, act as wise consumers. Find out directly which airlines recycle, and fly with them. Send e-mails to the companies who do not, letting them know why you decline to use their services. And when in doubt, bring your recyclables away with you, and recycle them yourself.