Garbage Recycling mandatory or not?
 

I have spend some time today trying to find out if recycling is mandatory in TV, specifically in Sumter County. I have been to all the government and District websites and they make it seem as if it is offered without saying if it is required. We are used to recycling anyway and will continue to do so but my wife gets overly worried about what she puts into the regular garbage since we were subject to fines in our old State if they found recyclables in with the regular trash.

So what is the scoop? Mandatory or not?

Sadly, not.

Thanks. I can tell my wife that she does not have to police the garbage anymore. We are aware of the major items to recycle but sometimes do not remember the ones we rarely have.

Kudos to your wife.
They certainly don't seem to be as stringent about it in Florida as in the rest of North America.
But it's one small thing we can do for our planet.
PLEASE Continue to recycle everything possible.

Since this thread is about recycling I wanted to offer a suggestion to other villagers to help our planet. Please don't discard your junk mail in the trash receptacles at the postal station; take the junk mail home and put it with your other recycling. It is too bad we don't have recycling containers at the postal stations.

Good suggestion. The small things we can do are important.
Everything we do can be significant when multiplied by one million.

Here's a list of what to recycle(see page 2).I taped a copy to my recycle garbage can until I got used to it, since different cities recycle different things. Unfortunately, it's not mandatory in The Villages, but it should be. IMHO.

http://www.districtgov.org/community...dule-combo.pdf

Ditto.

Why aren't there recycling bins at the post station? Oh wait they would have to be as big as a dumpster.

Sadly I see Villagers doing this way too often.

Why not It is a no brainer. Most of all that is put in there is JUNK mail. I am afraid this is a bigger problem than JUNK mail. It is the jobs of thousands of people.

You can take newspaper to the church or the annex on 466. Pop can tabs go to the school ladylake or wildwood pop and beer cans go to the postal station in Summhill for the Lyons club

And would your old state happen to be New Jersey? We lived in Old Bridge in the early 80s when recycling started there. If they saw anything that should have been recycled in your trash they would not take it! We were well trained.

Also true in Randolph, NJ. Not only did NJ start requiring recycling in the '80s, they raised taxes to pay for marketing the recycled items.

Despite rinsing and washing the cat food cans, it cost $300 to get rid of the ant invasion in our house.

In Muskegon, MI, as soon as the recession hit, picking up recycling was the first thing to go. People complained so much they reinstituted it, but only if you paid for it yourself. How earth friendly.

Do not put your credit card solicitations in your recycling. Those things have code numbers on them, and anyone could apply in your name for a credit card. We shred ours.

Let's kill two birds with one stone. Have the USPS replace the bulk rates with the first class rates. The US Postal Service would start to operate in the black and we wouldn't be buried in junk mail. It would also save trees.

To answer the original question about mandatory recycling, I believe one answer is that the fee charged to your VCCDD Utility Bill requires mandatory payment and unlike recycling in other jurisdictions recycling was never set up in TV to be self supporting through payments received for recycled items.

Let's not change the bag requirements. I, for one, would rather not see bins and barrels blowing/ floating all over the neighborhood.

As others have said, putting junk mail in the trash receptacles is a real problem at the post offices. At ours, those receptacles are always full. Management's excuse, I have read somewhere, is that people will put dog poop in them, and unfortunately, they're probably right. I think an easy solution is to remove all the trash receptacles. then people will take home their junk mail and hopefully recycle it. If there are no trash receptacles, people won't use them for dog poop either. Voila!

Agree:BigApplause:

People can also spend a little time online reducing the amount of junk mail they get. For catalogs, I've found that contacting the company directly works best. Other resources:

Consumerist
Catalog Choice
Direct Marketers
Privacy Rights
FTC
Valpak

And they will still be used as a depository for dog waste.

You can also opt out of all those telephone books at the link below. It takes about two minutes to register. I was able to opt out of SEVEN telephone books.
The Villages Phone book is not on this list, so you will still receive that one. It's the only one I use anyway.
https://www.yellowpagesoptout.com

I agree with mulligan. Especially when you consider that renters don't necessarily leave the day before trash pickup. In that case the bins could sit in front of the home for quite a long time. Also, I consider buying a roll of recycle bags for a couple of bucks (that seem to last for almost forever) to be a small price for an attractive neighborhood.

And plastic is very good at containing odors that BLOOM in this heat. If the big ole black birds will just leave the bags alone.

Vinny and Wife, I am pleased you asked the question about whether recycling in mandatory in The Villages. The state of Florida has a collective goal to recycle 75% of its materials by the year 2020. In 2013, Marion County's recycle rate was approx. 48%. Lake County's recycle rate was approx. 33%. Sumter County's recycle rate was very disappointing at approx. 21%. If you think our recycling participation could be increased to help Florida's statewide goal, please RECYCLE MORE (and use less). Thank you. Source: http:depnewsroom.wordpress.com. Queen

I recycle everything I can. I want to recycle. I like to recycle. The thought of being fined because I didn't recycle my trash kinda bothers me. Who goes through your trash to see if you failed to recycle? Wow! I wouldn't want that job!

As far as bins go, my Mother-in law lives in California and has 3 very large bins for her trash....reg trash..recycle trash and yard waste. It takes up half of her garage and many of her neighbors don't bother to put it inside. What an ugly mess around the neighborhood.

Yep, Old Bridge NJ.

Recycling
 

Glad Vinny made the posting about recycling. As a gentle reminder, the term "garbage recycling' in inaccurate. Garbage consists of materials being discarded. Recycling consists of materials which are being given a chance to be re-purposed/reused.
Glad Barefoot reminds us all that all our small efforts count (....like participating in recycling).
The answer given by Redwitch is rather incomplete. If Sumter County does or does not 'mandate' recycling participation, the STATE OF FLORIDA has a collective goal to recycle 75% by the year 2020. How are we doing so far? Well, in 2013, Marion County was recycling approximately 48%. Lake County was recycling approximately 33%. Sumter County was recycling ONLY approximately 21%. How do you think we're doing so far?
Source: http:depnewsroom.wordpress.com/

Where are my messages going? This is the third time I am replying to the other posts about recycling in The Villages. I think the posts regarding recycling in The Villages are a good start to this conversation. But, rather than why is REQUIRED by one or the other counties, is the statewide goal of Florida to recycle 75% by the year 2020. In the year 2013, Marion County led the three Villages counties by recycling 48%. Lake County recycled approximately 33%. Sumter County recycled only about 21%. Source: http:depnewsroom.wordpress.com/ Sumter County really needs to stop making excuses for recycling so little. Let's all do our share and recycle LOTS MORE. And then, stop buying unnecessary items. Do more with less. Let's do this, folks! Recyle more and you'll notice you're throwing out a lot less. Queen

Actually, I very rarely see broken bags opened in the street. I like the idea of plastic bags, where "Poof" the bags are picked up, and the neighborhood looks so clean again, without any barrels or cans in sight. Especially when renters leave before days of pickup. But, if they were to change, I would have to abide.

Be more specific
 

Which church? Annex? School?
I am relatively new...thanks you for a reply.

I do take our few drink cans to the post office.ALHAMBRA ROCKS
I see numerous bags of cans there ....


Now a suggestion..flat pack any boxes ...even cereal ones....get more in the clear bag and easier for pick-up too.
Learned this when I worked in the medical field...mandatory when we were restocking the shelves...we never saw a big bin cruising down the hall with 4 boxes!

Took some stuff to the recycling place for Sumter County, several long miles away in the countryside and had to pay the guy to be able to leave it there!

Ruth,

St. Timothy's parking lot has recycling bins at all times on the left side of the front parking lot. St. Timothy's is very near Spanish Springs on Page place. Just inside the side church door near the side parking lot off Page Place there is a container for non perishable food that St.Vincent de Paul society picks up every week and gives to those who need it. There is a red gas can there too for money.

You, who have so much on your plate, always thinking of others.

Your fan,

Gracie.

Thanks for the helpful links - we just opted out of the telephone books.

I think it's worth repeating. Fl. Dept. of Environmental Protection just released Fl. recycling rates from 2013. The top 10 Florida counties in recycling were: Hillsborough (recycling 73%), Lee (recycling 70%), Hendry (recycling 68%), Pasco (recycling 67%), Pinellas (recycling 63%), Collier (recycling 60%), Sarasota (recycling 58%), Martin and Palm Beach counties (recycling 56%), and Monroe (recycling 55%) How did the three Villages counties do? Marion (recycling 48%), Lake (recycling 33%), and Sumter
(recycling ONLY 21%). By the way, I just got a letter back from Sumter County commissioners.....in which they BLAMED residents for not doing a good job each week with their recycling. Meanwhile, Sumter County offices DO NOT RECYCLE while on the job. Why Not?!?! Queen