I no longer recycle because....

[Villages PL]

.....I went to Publix to get the bags for recycling and got confused with all the choices. I ended up with white bags instead of clear plastic. I mistakenly thought the white bags would work.

I don't buy much food in plastic so I don't have a lot to recycle. It took me about 3 or 4 months to fill up one bag. I was so proud to have accomplished that that I almost didn't want to part with it. It was like a collection of old favorite containers.

I proudly put the bag out at the end of my driveway. And just to make sure they wouldn't get it confused with regular trash I put it next to a stack of newspapers. And I put the other trash about 3 feet away.

So guess what? I saw the garbage guy take the recycling-bag with the rest of the regular trash.

So I said, "that's it" no more recycling.

How long will it be before the recycling police show up at my door?

[Walter123]

LOL....Not laughing at you. I could just picture the look on your face when the trash guy picked up your recycle bag. Recycle is a joke and I don't do it except for boxes and newspaper because you don't need a "special" clear bag. Oh, by the way, what's with the plastic bag anyway? Doesn't that contribute to the problem? A separate bin would work for me but then there's the argument against the big diesel burning truck. It's a vicious circle.

[KayakerNC]

So I said, "that's it" no more recycling.
How long will it be before the recycling police show up at my door?

So you would rather have your non-biodegradable trash end up in a landfill forever because you are confused?
Wow.

[biker1]

Well, the plastic bag is probably recycled along with the stuff in it. Glass and plastics don't need to go in landfills. Not that big a deal to put stuff in a clear bag.

LOL....Not laughing at you. I could just picture the look on your face when the trash guy picked up your recycle bag. Recycle is a joke and I don't do it except for boxes and newspaper because you don't need a "special" clear bag. Oh, by the way, what's with the plastic bag anyway? Doesn't that contribute to the problem? A separate bin would work for me but then there's the argument against the big diesel burning truck. It's a vicious circle.

[casita37]

Big fan of recycling.
1. Publix would have gladly exchanged the bags once you realized you had the wrong ones. Assume you realized it before using??
2. Garbage on one side of the driveway, recycling on the other....not just a few feet apart.
3. Clear bags so the guys can tell it's recycling, not garbage,
and last by not least...
4. I bet you could recycle a lot more than just plastic. How about glass, junk mail, packaging for most products, and the list goes on and on. You can get a list from the recycling department or probably just google it.

My recycling is always larger than my garbage.

[Bogie Shooter]

Why is recycle a joke ?

[laceylady]

Unbelievable nonsense. Do you not care about anyone but yourself? Future generations, the environment? Your attitude is shameful.

[RErmer]

We usually have much more recycling than regular trash, win plastics, papers, junk mail, cartons, etc, etc. Recycling is everyone's responsibility IMHO.

[webe1003]

My husband was told directly by one of the recycle guys that you can use any kind of plastic bag if you do not have a clear one. Just put a label on stating that it is recycle.

[Bogie Shooter]

My husband was told directly by one of the recycle guys that you can use any kind of plastic bag if you do not have a clear one. Just put a label on stating that it is recycle.

I wonder if he, the recycle guy, shared that with all the other recycle guys?

[jblum315]

I'm sorry to hear that you are unwilling to make the effort to recycle. All of your stuff added to the landfill cancels out my conscientious effort to recycle everything I possibly can. And so it goes.

[old moe]

:If you choose not to recycle SO BE IT. Just keep it to yourself and NO ONE Would KNOW and you wouldn't get all the negative feedback. Life goes on.:22yikes:

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Dod you ever think about the fact that some people are making millions of dollars from the recycling business and we are doing a god deal of the work for them? If they are so concerned about the environment and making money from it why don't they go through the trash and separate it themselves. Then, they have the nerve to charge us for the bags.

I may be a bit cynical, but sometimes I think that it's all a big scam.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

I'm sorry to hear that you are unwilling to make the effort to recycle. All of your stuff added to the landfill cancels out my conscientious effort to recycle everything I possibly can. And so it goes.

Nothing cancels out what you do. A certain percentage of stuff is going to end up being recycled and a percentage is not. All you can d is add to the percentage that will be recycled.

[BarryRX]

Dod you ever think about the fact that some people are making millions of dollars from the recycling business and we are doing a god deal of the work for them? If they are so concerned about the environment and making money from it why don't they go through the trash and separate it themselves. Then, they have the nerve to charge us for the bags.

I may be a bit cynical, but sometimes I think that it's all a big scam.

Why in the world would you be concerned about the fact that recycling is a profitable business. Do you picture employees having to sort through your personal garbage by hand? Food waste, diapers, used q-tips, dirty tissues, etc? If you don't think that keeping stuff that can be recycled out of our landfills is important, then nothing I say here can change your mind. Sometimes I am so disappointed when I hear about people that cannot take 2 minutes out of their week to help make the world a better place for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren.

[alwann]

I used to put our recycle-appropriate trash in a bin on which I had spray-painted the words "For Recycling," along with my address. This saved me from using plastic bags. That stopped when the trash guys tossed the bin in their truck along with its contents.

One reason recycling is promoted is because the trash contractor sells those materials to processors.

As for volume, we toss out more recyclables than garbage. In fact, it would be better with a once weekly garbage pick-up and twice weekly recycle pick up -- at least for me it would.

[KathieI]

Dod you ever think about the fact that some people are making millions of dollars from the recycling business and we are doing a god deal of the work for them? If they are so concerned about the environment and making money from it why don't they go through the trash and separate it themselves. Then, they have the nerve to charge us for the bags.

I may be a bit cynical, but sometimes I think that it's all a big scam.

I don't believe that a recycling plant is a high-profit business to be in. There is a lot of work that has to get done on their part before the materials can be ground down and sold to manufacturers to be used in new packaging. Let's take large plastic bottles for instance:
a) they need to be sorted by the type of material. There are 6 types of plastic materials that bottles are made of and a 7th which is tossed because it is a combination of different plastics and cannot be recycled.
b) generally they only recycle large containers over 8 oz. and over. so anything smaller also gets tossed
c) then they have to separate them again by color, I would guess, opaque colors vs natural colors
d) if any bottles contain labels or caps they must be removed, especially if the label contains any metallic substance in its substrate
e) then there is probably a very detailed SOP guidelines they must process in order to assure that the recycled material does not contain any contaminants, bacteria, or other harmful substances.
e) then they put these into large grinding bins and break them down into pellets which are stored waiting for a buyer of packaging materials who can use them.

This is only for plastic bottles. Now think about all the other types of materials, metal cans, alum cans, corrugate boxes, cereal or folding boxes, glass (which is probably the easiest material to recycle). Did I miss one??

Have you been to a recycling plant? I have, quite a few. If you can't automate some of the processes above, which is very hard to do, it is very labor intensive.

Making millions on recycling? I don't think so. On top of that, the final user of these materials who is using recycled material to produce new components, probably pays a slight upcharge for the recycled material compared to virgin material.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Why in the world would you be concerned about the fact that recycling is a profitable business. Do you picture employees having to sort through your personal garbage by hand? Food waste, diapers, used q-tips, dirty tissues, etc? If you don't think that keeping stuff that can be recycled out of our landfills is important, then nothing I say here can change your mind. Sometimes I am so disappointed when I hear about people that cannot take 2 minutes out of their week to help make the world a better place for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren.

I have no problem with recycling being a profitable business. I am all for people making all the profit that they can from any business that they invest in and work hard at. I have a problem being an unpaid employee of that business.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

I don't believe that a recycling plant is a high-profit business to be in. There is a lot of work that has to get done on their part before the materials can be ground down and sold to manufacturers to be used in new packaging. Let's take large plastic bottles for instance:
a) they need to be sorted by the type of material. There are 6 types of plastic materials that bottles are made of and a 7th which is tossed because it is a combination of different plastics and cannot be recycled.
b) generally they only recycle large containers over 8 oz. and over. so anything smaller also gets tossed
c) then they have to separate them again by color, I would guess, opaque colors vs natural colors
d) if any bottles contain labels or caps they must be removed, especially if the label contains any metallic substance in its substrate
e) then there is probably a very detailed SOP guidelines they must process in order to assure that the recycled material does not contain any contaminants, bacteria, or other harmful substances.
e) then they put these into large grinding bins and break them down into pellets which are stored waiting for a buyer of packaging materials who can use them.

This is only for plastic bottles. Now think about all the other types of materials, metal cans, alum cans, corrugate boxes, cereal or folding boxes, glass (which is probably the easiest material to recycle). Did I miss one??

Have you been to a recycling plant? I have, quite a few. If you can't automate some of the processes above, which is very hard to do, it is very labor intensive.

Making millions on recycling? I don't think so. On top of that, the final user of these materials who is using recycled material to produce new components, probably pays a slight upcharge for the recycled material compared to virgin material.


Inside the world of for-profit recycling - The Week (http://theweek.com/article/index/253413/inside-the-world-of-for-profit-recycling)

Recycling E-Waste Becoming Big, Profitable Business | Industry Leaders Magazine (http://www.industryleadersmagazine.com/recycling-e-waste-becoming-big-profitable-business/)

From Waste to Wealth (http://www.smallstarter.com/browse-ideas/environmental-businesses/make-money-from-waste)

There are many more stories if you're interested in looking them up.

As someone said, the people that pick up our trash simply sell the recyclables to another company. They make money for doing nothing really. We do all the work for them.

And let me reiterate, I have no problem with these business. In fact, I think that they are good for the economy and produce jobs. But like I said, I have no interest in being an unpaid employee.

[Shimpy]

Then, they have the nerve to charge us for the bags.


One of my pet peeves. They pick up the stuff and sell it and we have to buy the bags for them. If they want me to recycle 100% then supply the bags. It's like going to a restaurant and having to supply the food.

[Suzi]

As for volume, we toss out more recyclables than garbage. In fact, it would be better with a once weekly garbage pick-up and twice weekly recycle pick up -- at least for me it would.[/QUOTE]

Same holds true at our house too. Small amounts of garbage and large amounts of recyclables. Would prefer 2 days of recycle and 1 day of garbage pickup.

[perrjojo]

One of my pet peeves. They pick up the stuff and sell it and we have to buy the bags for them. If they want me to recycle 100% then supply the bags. It's like going to a restaurant and having to supply the food.

Oh for Heveans Sake. A recycle bag cost 45cents or less. For 45 cents I can be a good steward of our planet. Find another excuse than price.

[OBXNana]

Oh for Heveans Sake. A recycle bag cost 45cents or less. For 45 cents I can be a good steward of our planet. Find another excuse than price.


We purchased 200 clear bags from Amazon for less than $40.00 (about $10.00 per year) and delivered for free to our door. Have one waste basket with a clear bag and another with a black bag. It really is very easy.

[bkcunningham1]

Where do they take the material you put out for recycling?

[mtdjed]

One of my pet peeves. They pick up the stuff and sell it and we have to buy the bags for them. If they want me to recycle 100% then supply the bags. It's like going to a restaurant and having to supply the food.

It is your garbage and trash. You don't want to bag it? I guess we should just throw all that garbage and trash on the road and expect someone to come along and shovel it up. How can anybody complain about buying two types of bags? We should all do our share.

[Walter123]

In the old days, as kids, we would collect bottles and newspapers and we would get the money. Too bad that went away along with the paper route.
To me, that was worthwhile recycling.

[LndLocked]

The petty small mindedness of some people never fails to amaze and depress me.

[Carla B]

The only work required is to buy the bags and do a little sorting. We still have dozens of clear bags left from a one-time purchase at Sam's Club in 2008. I hate to imagine the cubic yards the amount of recycles we put out over the years would occupy at the landfill had it been lumped together with the garbage.

[Carla B]

Where do they take the material you put out for recycling?

I think it goes to Orlando and is sorted by hand.

[Cedwards38]

Recycling is a matter of conscience. If you favor the idea of not creating landfill waste, then you do it.
I do. I recycle every week, because I believe it's the right thing to do. I've never had a problem finding and purchasing the correct bags. I've never resented providing the bags. It's like pumping your own gas to provide profits for oil companies, or paying for parking while you go to the theatre, or paying for internet service to shop at Amazon, or providing the water and electricity to contractors at your home, or buying checks to do business with my bank. It's just the cost of doing business. And I choose to contribute to the recycling business because it's good for the environment and is considerate of future generations.
You make your own choice!

[sunnyatlast]

I recycle as much as possible and try to do my part. But many of these comments sound like it's a religion, and like the o.p. is seen as a heretic in the times of burnings at the stake.

[cattywampus]

NO Complaints here with The Villages in Sumter County
___________________________________________
... EVERY Monday
TWO guys + Truck at 8 am to take the recycle

THREE guys + Truck at NOON to take trash and garbage.
______________________________________________
...EVERY Wednesday
THREE guys +Truck at 8 am to pick up yard trimmings
and tree cuttings.
_______________________________________________
...EVERY Thursday
TWO guys + Truck at 8 am to take the recycle

THREE guys + Truck at 930 am to take trash and garbage
__________________________________________________

52 weeks per year times 5 stops per week = 260 stops per year.
Charges me 17.90 per month times 12 = $ 214.80 per year

ALL my Trash + Garbage + Recycle + Yard waste is taken away.
No matter how much I put out there.

[Barefoot]

Sometimes I am so disappointed when I hear about people that cannot take 2 minutes out of their week to help make the world a better place for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren.

:agree: It's one small but important thing we can all do to make the world a better place.

[redwitch]

Cattywampus, just FYI: recycling is only picked up once a week. So, if you're putting recycling out twice a week, one of those times your recycling is going to the garbage dump, not to the recycling center.

[Bonanza]

I used to put our recycle-appropriate trash in a bin on which I had spray-painted the words "For Recycling," along with my address. This saved me from using plastic bags. That stopped when the trash guys tossed the bin in their truck along with its contents.

One reason recycling is promoted is because the trash contractor sells those materials to processors.

As for volume, we toss out more recyclables than garbage. In fact, it would be better with a once weekly garbage pick-up and twice weekly recycle pick up -- at least for me it would.

The "trash contractor" is none other than our Mr. Gary Morse.
You know the old saying that one man's trash is another man's treasure???
Well -- he is the one making money from our (recycled) trash!

[Bonanza]

I am a huge proponent of recycling and have been doing recycling longer than trash companies have made it a part of what they do.

It does unnerve me that we aren't given recycling bins like other cities have, or even locally, as Waste Management does.

Doesn't it bother anyone that we are contributing to the landfill problem by using over 50,000 plastic bags a few times a week??? No, I don't believe the bags can be recycled because they are filthy dirty and some people put garbage in them. Plastic bags for recycling have to be clean.

Unfortunately, we do not have Waste Management as our trash company. I realize many residents don't want trash cans and recycling bins but the fact that we have to obey an edict of certain color bags for certain types of trash is insanity at its highest level. No, I take that back. Residents who follow that edict is the highest form of insanity!

It amazes me how everyone thinks they have to flllow suit with the edict that has been handed down. What are they going to do if you don't follow the rules? Not pick up your trash? Put you in jail?

At a personal level, I refuse to buy trash bags that fit the edict. I can't remember the last time I bought trash bags, period! If I get clear, white or other color bags from stores or another source, I will save and recycle those bags for trash, etc. If I don't have the correct color, too bad! I place the recycled items on one side of the driveway and trash on the other side and I've never had a problem with a proper pickup. The diference as to which is which is pretty obvious.

I think we all need to rethink what we are doing and/or not doing with our trash and recycling.

[graciegirl]

The "trash contractor" is none other than our Mr. Gary Morse.


You know the old saying that one man's trash is another man's treasure???

Well -- he is the one making money from our (recycled) trash!




I just don't understand all this intensity. If it were Warren Buffett who owned this place would it be better?

http://notesandrestsmakemusic.wordpress.com/2011/10/02/warren-buffett-is-definitely-a-democrat-i-think/

[OBXNana]

I am a huge proponent of recycling and have been doing recycling longer than trash companies have made it a part of what they do.

It does unnerve me that we aren't given recycling bins like other cities have, or even locally, as Waste Management does.

Doesn't it bother anyone that we are contributing to the landfill problem by using over 50,000 plastic bags a few times a week??? No, I don't believe the bags can be recycled because they are filthy dirty and some people put garbage in them. Plastic bags for recycling have to be clean.

Unfortunately, we do not have Waste Management as our trash company. I realize many residents don't want trash cans and recycling bins but the fact that we have to obey an edict of certain color bags for certain types of trash is insanity at its highest level. No, I take that back. Residents who follow that edict is the highest form of insanity!

It amazes me how everyone thinks they have to flllow suit with the edict that has been handed down. What are they going to do if you don't follow the rules? Not pick up your trash? Put you in jail?

At a personal level, I refuse to buy trash bags that fit the edict. I can't remember the last time I bought trash bags, period! If I get clear, white or other color bags from stores or another source, I will save and recycle those bags for trash, etc. If I don't have the correct color, too bad! I place the recycled items on one side of the driveway and trash on the other side and I've never had a problem with a proper pickup. The diference as to which is which is pretty obvious.

I think we all need to rethink what we are doing and/or not doing with our trash and recycling.


Rules are rules and in place for a reason. If someone wants to change the rules on what color bag to use, it is their option to go to those in charge and work on changing what they feel is wrong. Until the rule is changed, we have the responsibility to follow the rules, regardless of our personal opinion.

[philnpat]

The "trash contractor" is none other than our Mr. Gary Morse.
You know the old saying that one man's trash is another man's treasure???
Well -- he is the one making money from our (recycled) trash!

And that's a bad thing?

[pooh]

Have been recycling for years. We started when we moved to northern CA....and at that time, you took your recyclables to drop off locations. We were young, it made us feel like we were doing something good for the planet. Moving to the lower part of the state was almost the same for recycling, you took your recyclables to drop off locations. A number of years later, our city became involved in recycling pick up through our trash company. After years of those dam small containers, one for glass, one for plastic, one for paper, they went to those huge containers, one for trash, another for recyclables. Good idea, if you have a place for them. Luckily, all yards in our neighborhood were fenced so the large bins were generally not visible during the week. On trash day, well, not the same story. The containers lined the streets every Thursday morning all lined up like little soldiers. After pickup, many still stood at attention, their owners off to work for the day. Empty bins aren't heavy and could be blown about by the wind and on days with Santa Ana winds, well the bins could travel quite far. It wasn't a pretty sight, really and those bins can get pretty stinky over time. The clear bag rules here for recyclables, for me, is a relatively simple and convenient way to recycle. I have a regular trash barrel in the garage, lined with a clear bag. When the bag is filled, I pull it out and tie it up. When trash is picked up, no rolling bins making their way down the street, no tipped over bins blocking driving lanes. You can buy large bags at warehouse stores, online, etc. I've bought them at Costco and Sam's Club in the past. The bags are 33 gallon size and I find them useful for things other than recycling.

Recycling isn't mandatory....either do it or don't do it.

[Madelaine Amee]

NO Complaints here with The Villages in Sumter County
___________________________________________
... EVERY Monday
TWO guys + Truck at 8 am to take the recycle

THREE guys + Truck at NOON to take trash and garbage.
______________________________________________
...EVERY Wednesday
THREE guys +Truck at 8 am to pick up yard trimmings
and tree cuttings.
_______________________________________________
...EVERY Thursday
TWO guys + Truck at 8 am to take the recycle

THREE guys + Truck at 930 am to take trash and garbage
__________________________________________________

52 weeks per year times 5 stops per week = 260 stops per year.
Charges me 17.90 per month times 12 = $ 214.80 per year

ALL my Trash + Garbage + Recycle + Yard waste is taken away.
No matter how much I put out there.

:mademyday: Certainly beats going to the dump which we had to do in NH!

[perrjojo]

:a20:I can't believe some want to nitpick what color trash bag or receptacle they must use. Some want to nitpick who picks up the trash. I am just glad it's gone but I do wish I didn't have to carry those bags out to the curb. That seems like I am doing all the work so someone else can make money off my trash.

[Walter123]

There are many pros and cons for recycling. I for one believe that recycling is far overrated. I am surprised of the righteous comments. We’re talking about trash but some are trashing others rather than just stating your opinion on the subject. Please focus.

[big guy]

LOL....Not laughing at you. I could just picture the look on your face when the trash guy picked up your recycle bag. Recycle is a joke and I don't do it except for boxes and newspaper because you don't need a "special" clear bag. Oh, by the way, what's with the plastic bag anyway? Doesn't that contribute to the problem? A separate bin would work for me but then there's the argument against the big diesel burning truck. It's a vicious circle.

A separate bin would sit in some driveways for days. I like the plastic bag because it goes away6 on recycling day and doesn't come back for a week.

[jalopy54]

.....I went to Publix to get the bags for recycling and got confused with all the choices. I ended up with white bags instead of clear plastic. I mistakenly thought the white bags would work.

I don't buy much food in plastic so I don't have a lot to recycle. It took me about 3 or 4 months to fill up one bag. I was so proud to have accomplished that that I almost didn't want to part with it. It was like a collection of old favorite containers.

I proudly put the bag out at the end of my driveway. And just to make sure they wouldn't get it confused with regular trash I put it next to a stack of newspapers. And I put the other trash about 3 feet away.

So guess what? I saw the garbage guy take the recycling-bag with the rest of the regular trash.

So I said, "that's it" no more recycling.

How long will it be before the recycling police show up at my door?

I am big on recycling, it should be enforced on everyone! I have never had a problem telling if the bags are clear. It says it right on the box. Our world needs recycling. I usually have more recycle than regular garbage. So give our environment and earth a recycling happy face:smiley:

[Bonanza]

Oh for Heveans Sake. A recycle bag cost 45cents or less. For 45 cents I can be a good steward of our planet. Find another excuse than price.

You aren't a good steward for our planet; no one in TV is.

As long as we are "required" to use plastic bags for our trash
and recycle items, we are contributing to the problem . . . big time!

Somewhere over 50,000 homes X 2 trash pickups a week =
at least 3 bags per household per week.

Absolutely disgaceful!

[Bonanza]

There are many pros and cons for recycling. I for one believe that recycling is far overrated. I am surprised of the righteous comments. We’re talking about trash but some are trashing others rather than just stating your opinion on the subject. Please focus.

What are the "cons" for recycling?

How is recycling overrated?

"Please focus!"

[Chinook]

Hello, I just bought a home in the villages and I come from a very socially and environmentally progressive part of the country and we have recycled for 30 years. I have dutifully separated my trash from my recycle, used the appropriate bags etc.
My neighbors told me: " its all a joke and they just throw the recycle in the same place as the garbage"......
Is this true?
Can any Villagers that have lived in the Villages inform me it they truely recycle our materials we separate into bags for them?

Thanks,
Sue:wave:

[KeepingItReal]

Hello, I just bought a home in the villages and I come from a very socially and environmentally progressive part of the country.
Thanks,
Sue:wave:


Heck, we must be from the same town.....Welcome! :clap2:

[bkcunningham1]

If it is too hot to go outside today and you need something to occupy your mind, here are some interesting trashy reads: Energy-from-Waste*Facility - Covanta (http://www.covanta.com/facilities/facility-by-location/lake.aspx)

Overview of Costly Lake County Municipal Garbage Contract - Lake County Fiscal Rangers (http://webworks.typepad.com/lakecountyfiscalrangers/2009/02/overview-of-costly-lake-county-municipal-garbage-contract.html)

Lake County task force presents recommendations on garbage to commissioners - Orlando Sentinel (http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-09-25/news/os-lk-lake-county-waste-covanta-20110925_1_solid-waste-task-force-disposal)

[perrjojo]

Hello, I just bought a home in the villages and I come from a very socially and environmentally progressive part of the country and we have recycled for 30 years. I have dutifully separated my trash from my recycle, used the appropriate bags etc.
My neighbors told me: " its all a joke and they just throw the recycle in the same place as the garbage"......
Is this true?
Can any Villagers that have lived in the Villages inform me it they truely recycle our materials we separate into bags for them?

Thanks,
Sue:wave:
I can't imagine they would run a separate truck with all the expense involved if it were not being recycled. It's funny some complain that the Developer is making money from our recycled trash and others complain it's not really being recycled.
I cannot verify what happens to our trash but I believe it is truly recycled.

[mulligan]

I can't imagine they would run a separate truck with all the expense involved if it were not being recycled. It's funny some complain that the Developer is making money from our recycled trash and others complain it's not really being recycled.
I cannot verify what happens to our trash but I believe it is truly recycled.

Two separate trucks come to my street every week. The recycle material is shipped to a single stream recycling facility. Even the abominable clear plastic bags are sorted and recycled there in a mostly automated operation. The regular trash does NOT go to a landfill. It is shipped to any one of several trash burning power plants.

[maybe]

I have no problem with recycling being a profitable business. I am all for people making all the profit that they can from any business that they invest in and work hard at. I have a problem being an unpaid employee of that business.

------------------

You are not an unpaid employee for recycling anymore than you are for garbage because you have to properly bag it and take it to the curb. If we wanted to pay the costs involved, we could leave the garbage next to the house or garage, but society decides what is a reasonable effort for individuals to make in order to make the operation run as efficiently as possible. Likewise for recycling, it is more efficient to keep them separate from garbage because of contamination. You could also think of it as you ARE being paid to place recyclables separately, in that your taxes would otherwise be higher. The money the contractor makes on selling recyclables reduces the amount he has to charge the municipality. Personally, I think the sooner we get to sending nothing to landfills, the better off future generations will be.

[Walter123]

What are the "cons" for recycling?

How is recycling overrated?

"Please focus!"

So you think there are no cons to recycling? Google it. There are pros and cons to almost everything. Right now in Florida recycling is a choice. I put out bundled newspapers and boxes because that makes sense to me. Plastic bottles placed in a plastic bag doesn't make sense to me.

[Barefoot]

Right now in Florida recycling is a choice. I put out bundled newspapers and boxes because that makes sense to me. Plastic bottles placed in a plastic bag doesn't make sense to me.


Two separate trucks come to my street every week. The recycle material is shipped to a single stream recycling facility. Even the abominable clear plastic bags are sorted and recycled there in a mostly automated operation. The regular trash does NOT go to a landfill. It is shipped to any one of several trash burning power plants.

Mulligan explained what happens with recycling, and that the plastic bags are sorted and recycled.
Walter, how does that not make sense to you??

[Villages PL]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4] Let's take large plastic bottles for instance:

b) generally they only recycle large containers over 8 oz. and over. so anything smaller also gets tossed

Just on that basis alone, more than half of my stuff would have been tossed.

d) if any bottles contain labels or caps they must be removed, especially if the label contains any metallic substance in its substrate

Most of my larger containers had labels so they would have been tossed too.

e) then there is probably a very detailed SOP guidelines they must process in order to assure that the recycled material does not contain any contaminants, bacteria, or other harmful substances.

At least one of my big containers had a label and had contained a poison-herbicide so that would have been tossed.

This is only for plastic bottles. Now think about all the other types of materials, metal cans, alum cans, corrugate boxes, cereal or folding boxes, glass (which is probably the easiest material to recycle). Did I miss one??


At most I only have one (dark green) glass bottle per month and it has a label on the front and back. I don't drink soda etc. so there are no alum cans. My steel-cut oats comes in cardboard but I only have about one or two per month and they will break down in a land fill.

Of that one bag, that took me several months to fill, there might have been only one or two items that they could use. So I'm not going to feel bad about not recycling.

Here's an idea: If in the future I have an item that seems worthy of recycling I might just put it out by itself with no bag. As a matter of fact, I just remembered, I did that once and it worked.

[rubicon]

Dod you ever think about the fact that some people are making millions of dollars from the recycling business and we are doing a god deal of the work for them? If they are so concerned about the environment and making money from it why don't they go through the trash and separate it themselves. Then, they have the nerve to charge us for the bags.

I may be a bit cynical, but sometimes I think that it's all a big scam.

I happen to agree with much of what you say. At least when living in Minneapolis area the waste companies discounted your bill if you agreed to recycle.

In my home town recycling got to be so anal that they were demanding that residents separate bottles from cans, from plastic from paper and demanding that residents pull the labels off of cans and flatten them. Waste management had so many designated days for certain pick ups that they issued a calendar so residents knew what to place at the curb. and in specially colored bins

It infuriated me because my parents were not in the best of health and to go through all of this nonsense in the middle of winter

[Villages PL]

In the old days, as kids, we would collect bottles and newspapers and we would get the money. Too bad that went away along with the paper route.
To me, that was worthwhile recycling.

Yes, I remember, those were the good ol' days! :)

[Villages PL]

We’re talking about trash but some are trashing others rather than just stating your opinion on the subject. Please focus.

Right! Some of them have called us petty, small-minded and shameful.

Yes, it's "trash-talk". :)

[Villages PL]

I recycle as much as possible and try to do my part. But many of these comments sound like it's a religion, and like the o.p. is seen as a heretic in the times of burnings at the stake.

Perhaps they could start the Church of Latter Day Recycling. :)

[Villages PL]

The regular trash does NOT go to a landfill. It is shipped to any one of several trash burning power plants.

Thanks, mulligan, that means it's not a "sin" if you don't recycle. If you put plastic and other recyclable items in with the trash it all gets burned. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust. Amen! :)

[slipcovers]

Thanks, mulligan, that means it's not a "sin" if you don't recycle. If you put plastic and other recyclable items in with the trash it all gets burned. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust. Amen! :)

No, there is still a landfill fee and recyclable items are just that...recyclable. It is irresponsible not to recycle...period.

[Bavarian]

I wish the recycling zealots would put as much efforts into the bigger problems we face with ISIS

[TheVillageChicken]

I am a dutiful recycler. Here is a picture of me taking out the trash.

http://meyouandworld.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/recycle2.jpg

[dbussone]

I am a dutiful recycler. Here is a picture of me taking out the trash.



http://meyouandworld.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/recycle2.jpg


Just what I need. A shining example of recycling.

[dbussone]

I am a dutiful recycler. Here is a picture of me taking out the trash.



http://meyouandworld.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/recycle2.jpg


And Hotty Toddy to you. Go Col Rebel.

[sunnyatlast]

I wish the recycling zealots would put as much efforts into the bigger problems we face with ISIS

I wonder if the zealots genuflect in the presence of bagged recyclables.

[Bonanza]

[QUOTE=Walter123;930150]So you think there are no cons to recycling? Google it. There are pros and cons to almost everything. Right now in Florida recycling is a choice. I put out bundled newspapers and boxes because that makes sense to me. Plastic bottles placed in a plastic bag doesn't make sense to me.



YOU are the one who said there are cons to recycling; so what are they???

Oh . . . so you think it's okay for plastic bottles to go into a landfill somewhere and get buried and sit there for more years than you are old, besides that it ultimately contaminates the ground water due to the chemicals involved.

People that don't want to do things for the betterment of a community or the world always find a lame reason NOT to do it.

Oh, yeah . . . sure it's okay -- but only in your mind! :22yikes:

[Bonanza]

I wish the recycling zealots would put as much efforts into the bigger problems we face with ISIS

Did you just enlist??

When do you ship out?

[Bonanza]

I am a dutiful recycler. Here is a picture of me taking out the trash.

http://meyouandworld.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/recycle2.jpg

You win the prize!

The best post yet!

Absolutely terrific!

[champion6]

I am a dutiful recycler. Here is a picture of me taking out the trash.
http://meyouandworld.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/recycle2.jpgNooooo!!!!! You must use clear plastic bags, not mesh bags! :icon_wink:

[The Mountaineer]

I always recycle for the same reason that I always stop for red lights: It's the right thing to do. That's good enough for me.

[dbussone]

Nooooo!!!!! You must use clear plastic bags, not mesh bags! :icon_wink:


But the mesh bags can be used over and over ad nauseum.