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Instead of paying to have recyclables hauled to the dump, you can donate them for a good cause. Mary Jo Melo, the manager at Lombardi's Ristorante in Georgetown, is collecting cans for Recycle Redding.
The fund, which she started last month, raises money for Autism Speaks, a foundation dedicated to raise awareness and find a cure for autism.
The owners of the West Redding Lombardi's and the Georgetown restaurant have relatives with the disorder, which is what inspired Melo to start the project.
"We wanted to be more involved in the Redding community and inspire people to be proactive," she said. "Autism is becoming more and more common, and it's something people need to be thinking about."
Melo will collect the cans at Lombardi's restaurant at 22 Main St. in Georgetown from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The collection will continue every second Saturday of the month. Although last month was the first collection, one woman showed up with eight full garbage bags of recyclables.
Lombardi's is looking for volunteers to cash in the cans and is asking high school students who need community service hours or Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops looking to earn their recycling badges to help.
Only cans and bottles that can be returned to the grocery store will be accepted.
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