I put everything in the recycle bins... .well almost anything. My wife and I sort all of our packaging, most of our waste in order to be the "GOOD CITIZENS" helping our environment.
Metal cans, aluminum cans, all kinds of bottles, glass, caps, EPS trays, clamshells, magazines, junk mail, opened envelopes, newspapers, children's papers that we don't keep, any folding cartons..... you name it, we try to put it into the blue or green recycle bins in our garage. Call us the sorting fools.... or are we just fools?! A good portion of these recycled materials end up going where they were originally intended... the landfill. How disheartening! Sure, I realize we cannot recycle EVERYTHING... but I do know we can do more than we are collectively!
So... knowing that my efforts aren't truly appreciated, and not everything I throw in my recycle bins ends up in a landfill, am I actually having the opposite affect on the environment? I know plastic clamshells will end up in a landfill, but I put them in the recycling bin. By doing so, that waste is now using more energy to reach its final destination, right? Even if the man picking up my recycle content is doing a quick sort right at the curb, taking that extra time means more CO2 emmisions. Either way.... I am a hypocrite I guess!! I am ashamed!
What do I tell the kids? Paper bags can go in the recycle bin, but not plastic bags. Film bags of any type... garbage can. Don't throw PVC or PP bottles in the recycle bin, only PET or HDPE. But wait, not all PET and HDPE materials can be recycled. ONLY if they are bottles and wait.... even if they are bottles, only certain colors can be recycled!
So Caroline, Tommy and Tiffany, don't put this in, but you can put that in, but only if it's a certain color, and only if its on Wednesdays, and only if the sun is out...... my gosh, what will these kids think of recycling?! We have a long way to go folks, and we should be ashamed we aren't farther along.
I once lived in a small city with MANDATORY recycling laws. So we separated newspapers from corrugated boxes and other packaging. We cut both tops and bottoms out of tin cans. We removed labels and rinsed the cans and sharp lids (at great expense and time as this city also had expensive water rates) and flattened the tin cans for recycling. On the given day we placed all of our recycle bins and garbage at the roadside.
Then came the day when the big city reporter followed the recycling truck to the landfill tipping place and saw it all dumped together!!!! Why? Because there was no effective or efficient recycling infrastructure !
Needless to say the mandatory recycling laws were rescinded when this was made public.
When there is a demand, the material will be recycled. No demand and recycling is just another creative way to tax the populace.
Tom,
I read your comments, and agree completely. We have lived in places (such as WA state) where their regulations are very intense, whereas in other parts of the country, there is little or no interest in recycling.
Chuck DeWitt