Are we REALLY recycling????

[Talk Host]

We have been seperating our cans, bottles and newspapers as we were instructed to do. Then we put it in the clear white pastic bags. When the truck comes around, they throw everything in to a regular garbage truck and compact it all together. Once it is compacted, how can it be sorted and recycled. What's going on here?

JLK

[Floridagal]

I recycle every week and two trucks come on Thursday. One for regular garbage and one for the recycle. I live south of 466.

[JohnN]

Just listening as an interested party since I'm not yet really there.
seems if it goes in a truck (same truck or not) and is compacted, it'd be really hard to somehow sort. The recycle truck around here has different compartments on it and uses permanent bins which they leave at the curb, not bags.

[zcaveman]

I breakdown and fold all boxes into one box and put it separate from the garbage bag but they still toss it in with the regular garbage. Do they really expect me to waste 2 or 3 recyclable bags on my cardboard boxes?

[Bob45]

I'm will be renting a place in Duval. My instructions are to put the trash at the curb. Nothing was mentioned about recicling. Should I be concerned?
Bob

[KathieI]

Bob, I've rented at least 7 times in TV and I never recycled, as a renter. Its not like they don't take your trash, but they'd rather you separate it if you can. Otherwise, I've always left it at the curb in one black plastic bag. Good luck, see ya in Duval!!

Z: I agree, I'm finding that with large gallon water bottles and such, I could go through a lot of the clear recycling bags, but that's a waste also, don't you think? I was thinking that maybe I should get a compactor at least? What do you all think?

[Talk Host]

My point here is that we take the time to be helpful and recycle as per the instructions, but the truck is a garbage truck and not a recycle truck. Why seperate paper and plastic like they want, if they are just going to mash it all together in a garbage truck.

My guess is that it is taken to the dump and dumped with the garbage.

[zcaveman]

My point here is that we take the time to be helpful and recycle as per the instructions, but the truck is a garbage truck and not a recycle truck. Why seperate paper and plastic like they want, if they are just going to mash it all together in a garbage truck.

My guess is that it is taken to the dump and dumped with the garbage.

There was another post a while back on the same subject. The poster called the waste management and talked to them and it was stated that it was separated at the dump. The poster did not believe that and complained and finally got the two separate trucks to come through the area. I have no idea how to find that post but it is out there somwhere.

[Just Susan]

Okay here are some questions.

Why bother to recyle when you are required to use plastic bags?

Some facts about plastic bags:

Approx. 80 - 90% of plastic bags are NOT biodegradeable.

They are choking our landfills & will outlast our great, great, grandchildren.

They are responsible for killing a substantial number of both land and sea animals annually.

In a time when the trend is moving toward bringing your own reuseable bag(s) to the store, why is TV newly being required to use plastic bags?

And why are you doing it?

Why not reusable bins that can be dumped into the Truck manually or mechanically?

Why purchase bags to throw away?

http://www.enviroliteracy.org/article.php/1268.html

Just my opinion.

[Canabarrybarb]

Excellent recommendation Susan.

[Plexer2]

Talk Host brings up a very valid point. Perhaps someone should follow the truck someday to see where it goes? Could the entire recycling program be a sham? You wouldnt think so, but the previous poster made a great point about plastic bags as well! Nothing would surprise me!

[johnfarr]

Here is a story from last December when recycling was just beginning:

(I underlined the part which is pertinent to the above discussion)


Villages officials stay quiet on issue of recycling
BY JOE VANHOOSE THE REPORTER
Published: Wednesday, December 5, 2007 at 6:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, December 4, 2007 at 2:15 p.m.
THE VILLAGES - The Villages in Sumter County may be cleared soon by the Department of Environmental Protection for curbside recycling, but some residents say they don't want the service.

"I don't know how it got to this point, especially without a vote by the residents," said June Curry. "Almost everyone I've talked to is against it."

She said she had no idea curbside recycling was even on the drawing board for the community.

The Villages' developer controls trash pick-up and its cost for Marion and Sumter County residents. The job of picking up the trash is outsourced to Operations Management International, which has applied to the DEP for permits to pick up recyclable trash.

OMI would pick up recyclables from Sumter County homes once a week. Villages residents would put all their recyclable trash in one clear plastic bag. The trash would be taken to the Wildwood transfer station and sorted using single-stream recycling.

OMI project director Russ Vaughn said OMI is waiting to get the permit from the DEP. Once the company gets the government permit - perhaps just a few weeks from now - OMI will begin curbside pickup.

Pickup could begin, Villages Property Owner's Association president Joe Gorman says, with a lot of questions still left to be answered.

"This is a big departure from how we handle garbage right now, and the big question is what the economic value is," Gorman said. "We need dialogue between the developer and the residents to study whether we need to do this or not."

Villages Homeowners Association president Roger Kass said he hadn't seen overwhelming support for the recycling project, but there haven't been residents saying they don't want recycling, either.

"I think people are waiting to get the official word on what's going to happen," Kass said. "The DEP hasn't released what they will or won't approve."

Villages officials have kept quiet on the whole issue, not revealing the procedure or the additional cost of having the service. Villages spokesman Gary Lester refused to comment.

Other Villages residents are speaking up in support for curbside recycling. Resident Dennis Perrien has pushed for a recycling program for several months and is pleased to see that his wish may soon be granted.

"I'm 100 percent for it, because it really is important," said Perrien, who recycled regularly in Texas before moving to The Villages. "We need a program here, and I'm glad to see we're going to get one."