THE JEFFERSON-Belmont Regional Solid Waste Authority wasn’t nuts when it decided this week to have a squirrel as a mascot and also reached a decision about a new name.

Henceforth, the authority whose proper name was too long and too stolid-sounding now is becoming the JB Green Team with the JB standing for Jefferson and Belmont.

Not only are logos planned, but there will be a set of costumed squirrel mascot characters. Appropriately, the little characters will be called Jeff for Jefferson and Bel for Belmont.

The squirrels, according to the discussion at this week’s meeting, can provide a variety of marketing possibilities. Possibly, those involved are already storing up ideas about how the bushy-tailed animals can be featured.

These colorful mascots will make appearances at schools and other functions as a means of educational outreach in order to promote the developing recycling efforts in the two Eastern Ohio counties.

The mascots will make a visual impression on youngsters in schools and undoubtedly will help them to understand more about recycling.

AND, IT’S no secret that more recycling is needed not only in our area, but also elsewhere.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, each person creates about 4.7 pounds of waste every day.

Although the disposal of waste to landfills decreased from 89 percent in 1980 to 54 percent in 2007, that’s still a lot of trash.

The EPA, according to a Web site on recycling facts, reports approximately 8,660 curbside recycling programs exist in the United States. Considering the number of communities throughout the nation, that sounds like much too few.

On a more cheerful note, each ton of mixed paper that is recycled can save the energy equivalent to 185 gallons of gasoline.

Recycling in the immediate area has helped food pantries. The group’s “Stock the Pantry” recycling event raised through donations and recyclable collections enough money to present eight food pantries in Jefferson County with $267 each and eight Belmont County food pantries with $225 each.

THERE’S a more vital reason for recycling. We only have one earth.