Recycling
 

I'm curious to know how many people recycle in The Villages. I know a few years back, there was quite a bit of discussion about recycling. People were afraid that regular trash pickup would be curtailed, etc, if recycling was implemented. That never happened, and we now have the option of putting out our recyclables once a week. What made me think of it was seeing a number of people at our postal station put their junk mail in the trash. I don't know if they don't realize that the trash at the postal stations doesn't get recycled, or if they just don't care to participate in recycling.

So, just curious to see how many people on this Board recycle. Not sure how to make an official poll, but for now, do you recycle?...thanks

Yep, do it in TV and up North.

100 % by the book on recycleing to include proper bags for cans/bottles and yard waist. etc.

I recycle everything. In addition to curbside recycling, I bring old CD's to Best Buy. I have 2 websites that I check before I throw anything out. Earth911 for large items such as a TV, computer, camera, carpeting, etc. For smaller items, I check Terracycle whick is also a great website for purchasing recycled items(for example, you can buy drink coasters that were made from recycled electronics) I also donate a lot of clothes and things so that items get reused.

The recycling program in Marion Co. portion of TV is surprisingly good. They pickup ALL numbered plastics along with the usual suspects of glass, metals and paper.

Additionally, I take what small amount of plastic bags I accumulate ( I use resueable bags with me shopping 98.987% of the time) along with styrofoam to Publix. While most grocery stores have recycling bins for plastic bags .... Publix is one of the VERY few that has a styrofoam recycling program.

We recycle everything--glass, plastic, cardboard, paper, aluminum/metal, batteries, etc. We use the clear plastic bags for recycling goods and black plastic bags for trash as was suggested in our "welcome to TV" packet. I have noticed that very few of our neighbors use the two different color bag system so I am not sure if they are recycling or not.

We also compost our kitchen scraps (only vegetable matter, coffee grounds/filters, egg shells) and yard clippings.

Between recycling and composting we only produce a tiny amount of actual trash. It always makes me feel good on Tuesdays to put out two or three full recycle bags and only a tiny trash bag.

Recycle
 

I recycle everything I can and the pickup people a darn good with it to.

I recycle. Thanks for the info on styrofoam and Publix. Will start taking it there.

I just wish I was truly convinced that things here really do get recycled. I know in California, we have to sort by material and the truck has bins for each material. Here, to me, the recycling truck looks like a regular garbage truck which implies that our clear plastic bags (which bugs me to no end) are compacted in the truck -- how can everything that is mushed together be sorted? Even so, I give them my recycling and hope that it works.

Recycle
 

When we moved to the villages last year was glad that they recycled. We did in Michigan and we are doing it here. Like the idea that they take all numbers of plastic.

We are careful to recycle everything possible. I was surprised to find out when we first purchased in The Villages, that there was no recycling available. It is much, much better now.

At our northern house, we have many streams of garbage. Recycling must be sorted by product, newspapers are sorted separately from glass and plastic, etc. As well, every family is issued a composter, and the contents of the composter (in special bags) is picked up with garbage and recycling.

We can really make a difference if we're all diligent about composting and recycling.

Wow, I'm so impressed with all the posts. How heartening to know that there is such an interest in recycling! We feel the same way. Its a good feeling to see that big recycle bag out there, and our tiny trash bag. I do think in the long run that it helps the environment. :BigApplause:

Recycling
 

Refresh Computers In The Plaza Grande S is a drop off and will Recycle all electronics.

When we began renting in TV several years ago, there was little to no recycling in the area. We are pleased that our recyclable items are now picked up on a weekly basis. I'd say our ratio is 3 to 1 (recycle to trash).

We recycle and donate clothing to the Villlages hospital. The majority on our street do not recycle.

Wow, sorry to hear your street isn't into recycling. What Village are you in, if I may ask?

I take the 5th.

I hear you, lol!....maybe they'll come to their senses sometime. You get a gold star for setting a good example.

We recycle as much as possible. We take our newspapers and magazines to St Timothy's, aluminum cans to All Creatures Animal Sanctuary, plastic bags to Publix and all other items that can be recycled are set out for weekly curbside pickup.

We recycle as much as we can. That said, we are disappointed that the list of permitted recyclable items is rather limited compared to what the list of items could easily be expanded.

Wouldn't it be really nice if recycle receptacles could be placed at the respective neighborhood mailboxes? Same for receptacles at the softball fields for those discarded plastic bottles of water, Gatorade, etc.

Our neighbors in our area of St James appear to be decent recyclers also :)

Good Idea
 

Really like the idea of putting recycle recetacles at the mailboxes and softball fields.

Ewww. Really? Stinky big old dirty metal bins junking up the place? Really?

They don't have to be big-ole stinky bins. They could be the same type of trash cans that are already at the mailboxes, only a different color, or labeled for recyclables.

The problem is, whoever empties the trash bins would also have to empty the recyclables and set them out for the truck. Maybe there wouldn't be enough staff to do that; I don't know.

Question: we're new to TV (Feb of '12). We're in Sumter. Does the recycle truck not accept newspapers? If not, I've been messing up big time. But they have been taking our recycle bags and not rejecting anything.

CFrance:

I believe the recycle truck does pick up newspapers, but I take mine to Hope Lutheran's recycle bin, located between their church and Fairway Christian on CR-466 east of Morse Blvd.

That way, I know that someone other than the recycle company is benefiting from my efforts!

SWR
:beer3:

Thanks; good to know.

The recycling truck takes newspapers. We tie up a bundle each week. Funny but a couple of times that I know of, the same truck took everything, all in the same hopper. I don't know the reason. Could have been a shortage of equipment or an error by the personnel but there it went, all together. Oh well, it usually works.

I wish people would not put their unwanted mail in the trash can at the mailbox. It should be recycled. I wonder how costly it would be to do paper recycling at the postal stations.

Oh, no big old stinky metal bins, Judy! No way!
CFrance is on-target for the paper-based items at the mailboxes.

There are nice-looking functional containers specially designed for recyclable bottles and cans (we've all seen them, even if we didn't notice them) that could be placed next to the trash cans at the fields.

Staff already routinely empties the trash cans at the mailboxes and the fields. The recycling trash cans would require just a little more effort to properly dispose of their contents.

But isn't that what recycling is all about, a little extra effort from all of us?

The junk mail advertisers ought to come and get their trash at the mail station trash cans and THEY can recycle it by re-mailing it to a more smartly-targeted mailing list.

The amount of junk mail we receive is ridiculous. We have to throw away 98% of what comes to our box. It's mostly color mailers from investment companies wooing seniors to a "free lunch" (dinner) to lure them into listening to their b.s. presentations, or real estate agent mailers from agents/agencies who seem to think we don't know MLS and TV realtors are online and we know how to use a computer.

Recycle aluminum cans
 

Please bring all aluminum cans to your postal stations north of 466. Put them in the large cans that say Lions Club. They are picked up everyday and the money goes to the blind and to provide eye care for those who can't afford it.

I agree, as others have mentioned as well, it would be nice to have recycling bins at the post offices. And if I recall, there is a recycling committee that brought up that idea with The villages. I think the problem they ran into was, they're afraid the bins would end up with dog poop in them. There was a previous thread about dog poop in the regular trash receptacles. I was thinking that if they took away the trash receptacles, there would be no place for people to dispose of the dog poop, and people would have to take their junk mail home with them too. Maybe we'd kill 2 birds with one stone. We'd get rid of the smelly trash bins, and people might be encouraged, in a round about way, to recycle their junk mail. Just a thought.

Thanks judylou - good to know....Mickey

The reality is that even when the recycles were sorted before pickup they had to be resorted again by the recycling company's. This is because that it just was not done well enough by well intentioned people. Also it has been shown in every instance were areas went to "single stream recycling" that the % of participation vastly increased.

Further, in every instance were self sorting was required the lower % of participation meant such a small recycle stream that it was a net revenue loser. This forced municipalities to underwrite the programs and that was a hard sell .... especially in tougher economic times. It was a lose, lose, lose ... less participation, less recycling and losing money.

The increased participation of single stream has lead directly to helping make recycling a revenue generating operation. So much so, that these same municipalities that once had to spend tax $$$ to even have the program now were able to bid the "opportunity" out and actually see a recycling program become a revenue source.

I do agree with you on the clear plastic bag requirement .... I help myself feel better about it by buying those bags made out of recycled plastic (in fact ALL of my "garbage" bags are made from recycled plastic) .... oddly enough, these bags are available at Walmart, which is not exactly a bastion of "green"

Will check out Walmart, thanks!