I live in the District of Columbia and recently I got a booklet from the Department of Public Works detailing an expanded recycling program. DC residents already recycle more than the national average for many products and the new standards should only boost this number.

The new list of recyclables includes shopping bags, lawn furniture, plastic toys and I-really-hate-to-throw-this-away items like high number (#1-7!) plastics and yogurt containers. No word on kitchen sinks. About the only common containers you can't slip in the iconic blue bins are those made of Styrofoam.

Our nation's capital is also tackling e-waste by offering drop-off locations for defunct computers, TVs and other electronics. The district offers free paper shredding -- and I'm sure there's no connection between this service and the evidence-destroying needs of our upstanding politicians.

I'm a big believer that personal action can only do so much, that governments and grand efforts are required to save our planet. Still, as greentech continues to make an increasing share of the headlines with 5 gigawatt wind projects and Google's clean energy appetite, it's easy to miss the small steps toward sustainability.

There's no clearer sign of this type of little progress than not having to '# check' plastics anymore and watching our house recycling corner overflow with non-landfill bound stuff.