Some say it isn&8217;t easy being green, but with some effort, it isn&8217;t so hard.

Several cities around the county continue to try and persuade residents to recycle. Alabaster provides the opportunity for curbside pick-up and Helena wants to generate support for a program there too.

Various obstacles prevent people from getting involved in a program. They either think they don&8217;t have time to bother or they don&8217;t even know one exists.

In Alabaster, you can recycle newspaper, junk mail, magazines, cardboard (if broken down), plastic jugs and bottles and empty aluminum cans. Similar products can be taken to recycling bins now in Helena.

The beauty is that it doesn&8217;t cost a dime. OK, it costs time, but not much.

The Alabaster Beautification Board said you don&8217;t even have to sort your recyclables &8212; they&8217;ll do it for you. Some residents have complaints about these programs, saying the cities don&8217;t make it easy enough and maybe that&8217;s true. The responsibility should rest on both shoulders. Cities need to make the terms and conditions clear and try to keep those to a minimum. Residents could be more proactive and make sure cities know when there is a glitch in the program. And, you don&8217;t have to be a tree-hugger to recycle. It&8217;s just good common sense to do so.

To start recycling, Alabaster residents need to call Alabaster City Hall at 664-6801. Meanwhile, the city of Helena has a form on its Web site where residents can add their name to a list so a program can get off the ground there. Businesses are in on the efforts. Publix provides a recycling bin for all of those plastic bags hanging around your house and you can purchase reusable mesh grocery bags at Wal-Mart now too.