Recycling (Page 2): When they're that picky, it's no wonder I see piles of trash on the side of some of the backroads. We have 2 cans, one for trash, and one for recyclables. I don't...

dpfoto Loc: Cape Coral, FL

When they're that picky, it's no wonder I see piles of trash on the side of some of the backroads. We have 2 cans, one for trash, and one for recyclables. I don't know one plastic from another, so it all goes in the recycle can.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

jerryc41 wrote:

One reason I like recycling is that bringing garba... (show quote)

Yeah. Madison county has a recycling center here, but they charge for almost everything. It’s less expensive to just throw things into the dumpster.
They certainly aren’t encouraging anyone to recycle.

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

jerryc41 wrote:

One reason I like recycling is that bringing garba... (show quote)

I can top most of the posts here so far.
Last year we had the areas head recycling guy come to make a presentation to our NARFE retiree group.
He also told us of the importance of separating our recycles and most importantly WASHING EVERYTHING PRIOR to depositing it into the huge bins.
This is in a rural area where wells do go dry.

Now for the cherry on top.
His words, not mine.: Virginia is SECOND in the whole United States for IMPORTING other states trash.
I still see red every time I recycle.

Smile,
Jimmy T Sends

wrangler5 Loc: Missouri

I thought I'd read that since China has pretty much stopped buying recyclables, most stuff that gets put in Recycle bins just ends up in landfill, along with the garbage and everything else. Aluminum that's separated by the consumer is easily re-melted, but the expense of sorting through all the other stuff does not make economic sense, in the US at least.

geezer76 Loc: Prineville, Oregon

wilikioti wrote:

Recycling is a business that wants you to do most of the work for them. Just as WalMart wants you to buy their groceries, scan them, pay for them and bag them. Screw ‘em!! I put all my trash in the same bag and I stand in the checkout lanes to pay for the groceries!

Rick Bailey Loc: Fayetteville Arkansas

We place cans, plastics, glass, and paper in the recycling bin every week. If the city recycler does not take it, it goes in the big trash can. Simple.

StanMac Loc: Tennessee

wilikioti wrote:

Recycling is a business that wants you to do most of the work for them. Just as WalMart wants you to buy their groceries, scan them, pay for them and bag them. Screw ‘em!! I put all my trash in the same bag and I stand in the checkout lanes to pay for the groceries!

👍👍👍👍

Good customer service today is defined today by how little the merchant can get away with - the less is more mantra.

Food waste on metal containers shouldn’t matter as they will ultimately end up melted down in a crucible where any impurities are extracted or skimmed. I would think after shredding, the first thing done with plastics is a good washing. It would seem that only paper products would be the ones where food waste could be an issue.

Stan

Resqu2 Loc: SW Va

Recycling is dead in my entire area. One day all the bins were picked up and never returned. This happened all over my area. The difference towns and cities put up notices that China won’t take the stuff anymore and my town admitted that most all of it had been going in the landfill for a while.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

G Brown wrote:

There have been several countries refusing to take... (show quote)

While I do not necessarily disagree with what you are saying I can't help but wonder where you get the 99% of goods ordered online are wrapped in several different products - most of which are not recycled by local authorities. Did you make up the 99% or do you have some actual source giving that number?

As you well must know it is said that 105% of people online exaggerate their claims trying to prove a point.

Dennis

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

Collhar wrote:

i would add not P and moan about the petty stuff.

But with 330 Million people in the United States that is one hell of a lot of petty stuff isn't it? Perhaps some piss and moan too much while others don't nearly as much as they should. I do my best to recycle and while not everyone should do as much as I do I think everyone should do something.

Dennis

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

dpfoto wrote:

When they're that picky, it's no wonder I see piles of trash on the side of some of the backroads. We have 2 cans, one for trash, and one for recyclables. I don't know one plastic from another, so it all goes in the recycle can.

Throwing trash out of the car on backroads or any roads isn't people not wanting to recycle. Those are absolute slobs and should be called out when seen. They took that trash to the backroads in a vehicle. Surely the SOB's can take it right back home and put it into a trash container to be disposed of properly.

Dennis

marine73 Loc: Modesto California

We recycle here in Modesto, we have two toters (30 gallon cans) one green, one black. the green toter gets all of the cardboard, paper, grass clippings, shrubbery etc., for composting, the black gets everything else. we went from 5-7 bags in the black down to 3 bags and pick up is once a week. The aluminum cans, plastic and glass we put into separate extra large bags and take the to the recycler and get paid by the pound for bringing them in. We have to watch what plastic is put in for one recycler. What one will not take another recycler will. Most plastic containers will have a symbol on it with a number and the type of plastic. We take our recyclables in every couple of months or when it starts getting in the way. The aluminum cans we crush to get the most in the bag. We usually have more aluminum than plastic or glass. It takes approximately 12 aluminum soda cans to make a pound and the two boys living at home drink a lot of soda. With just cans and plastic we usually get around 25.00 to 30.00 dollars.

2Dragons Loc: The Back of Beyond

jerryc41 wrote:

One reason I like recycling is that bringing garba... (show quote)

One of the reasons that China stopped taking recyclables from the U.S. is that it was too dirty. I generally save the jars, glass or plastic or plastic containers, to wash after I finish up the dishes in the evening. That way I'm not wasting water just to wash recyclables.

Jim70 Loc: Delaware

We ran into similar problems here with recycling. First, they wanted glass and metal cans separated, ok - no problem. Then they wanted newspaper and cardboard separated. OK - no problem. Then, they wanted clear plastics separated from colored plastics. Shortly after that, they wanted grass clippings separated from other garden refuse.
Now, because of China, they're talking about a special tax to cover the cost of recycling.

I've stopped recycling, garbage pickup is still free.
What a PITA!

2Dragons Loc: The Back of Beyond

wilikioti wrote:

Recycling is a business that wants you to do most of the work for them. Just as WalMart wants you to buy their groceries, scan them, pay for them and bag them. Screw ‘em!! I put all my trash in the same bag and I stand in the checkout lanes to pay for the groceries!

I stand in line at Walmart because it saves the jobs of folks who work there who would otherwise be unemployed if we all went to the self-checkouts. I know that sounds a little sanctimonious, but
that is really how I feel.