Tri-Cities Talk: How Green Is Life In The Tri-Cities?

Welcome to Tri-Cities Talk—a regular feature in which we ask our Facebook fans to share their views on current issues facing Geneva, Batavia and St. Charles.

Every week, we get the conversation started by taking a look back at a question we asked the Tri-Cities community in recent days on local Patch Facebook pages.

With last week's Earth Day now in our rearview mirror, the focus turns toward how to live more sustainably 365 days a year. That brings us to this week's question:

What local resources support an eco-friendly lifestyle? What else can be done to help Tri-Cities residents live sustainably?

Take a look at what people had to say and join the conversation in the comments section. 

Keith Line: Batavia has a TON of green-minded folks. ... There are many home-spun businesses providing green lifestyle choices and more. Sadly, our local government has not lived up to its potential (and historically appropriate) for wind-driven and alternative power. But we can still get there. — Batavia Patch Facebook

Mary Rudakas: Co-mingled recycling receptacles in the downtown shopping area would be nice! Maybe there is one? If so, a few more would be nice. Sometimes I ride all the way home with a sticky empty container just so I can recycle it. I bet a lot of plastic and glass gets thrown away in the regular trash. — Geneva Patch Facebook

Kim Johnson Conti: Make compost pick up available with trash service!! — St. Charles Patch Facebook

Theresa Daunheimer: Styrofoam recycling in Tri-Cities would be nice (we currently take ours down to Dart in Aurora). — Batavia Patch Facebook

Susan McDonell: I' d love to convince my homeowners association to allow rain barrels and compost bins. Maybe Geneva can make allowing them mandatory. — Geneva Patch Facebook

Krista Oleksiak Lipnisky: I agree ... composting ... Blue recycling bins!!! — St. Charles Patch Facebook

Sarah Musser Panek: I'd like a place to take clothing that is to worn out to be donated. A place that will recycle into insulation, or a place that business can come and pick up to use as rags or quilters. Anyone that would have a use for ragged clothing. I hate throwing it out. — Batavia Patch Facebook

Pops Hrdlick: Lower my property taxes. — Geneva Patch Facebook

Amber Hopkins: I'd like to see that Batavia Co-op get started. I'd like a year round farmers' market location. I'd like healthier restaurants. I'd like recycling containers next to the garbage cans. I'd like water fountains at the parks. I'd like to see more community "clean up days," where everyone pitches in to clean up the river and parks. I'd like rebates for toilets and water heaters that use less water, and governmental buildings finding ways to use less energy- like windmills, since, as Keith pointed out, this is the city of windmills. We could find a way to bring in businesses that use green power and boost the use of wind power in both residential and corporate levels. There are all kinds of new designs for both rooftops and smaller units for yards. — Batavia Patch Facebook

So what's your take? Tell us in the comments. 

CLICK HERE TO SEE WHAT YOUR NEIGHBORS HAD TO SAY IN PAST TRI-CITIES TALKS.