[ldj1938]

I wonder if it is necessary to pick up the recycling with those oversized garbage trucks considering the amount of material being recycled. There are only two or three people on my street that I have seen recycle bags in their driveway. Does it really take that giant truck and three guys to pick up the little recycling I see going on? A few years ago two Mexicans with a pickup truck and a trailer used to pick up all of the yard litter and trimmings and now it's the big truck and three guys. Since they added the recycling "feature" to my bill I would like to see them do it as economically as possible...keep it green, save fuel, etc. I tried calling their office, 748-0109, but nobody home. The phone number on your bill is not correct.

[redwitch]

I think it depends on your neighborhood. I've been in some villages where it looks like at least 70% of those who have any trash out have recycling with; others it looks like less than 10%. So, I'd say if it is one truck say for south of 466 and another for north of it, then the large trucks probably make sense. If it is one truck for each route and each route just consists of a couple of villages, then I'd totally agree with you.

Let us know if you get some answers.

[Niels]

I don't live in The Villages but I really don't understand why you would need three guys on a truck to do the recycling. :dontknow: Have to agree in that regard.

I live in upstate New York and we have a private garbage company. The recycling truck has only one guy. He picks up all the glass, plastic, cardboard and newspaper recyclables. He drives a special truck (it is kind of large)that is equipped with right hand drive. It has a sliding door which he leaves open when he is in the neighborhood and he can therefore get in and out of truck easily. The truck is also equipped with automatic braking, as soon as he releases the accelerator the truck automatically comes to a stop and keeps the brakes applied until he gets back in the truck and presses the accelerator. This allows him to get out of the vehicle quicker then if he had to stop the truck and apply the emergency brake each time. He does about a dozen houses on our street and is gone within a couple of minutes.

[gemorc]

Originally Posted by Niels

I don't live in The Villages but I really don't understand why you would need three guys on a truck to do the recycling. :dontknow: Have to agree in that regard.

I live in upstate New York and we have a private garbage company. The recycling truck has only one guy. He picks up all the glass, plastic, cardboard and newspaper recyclables. He drives a special truck (it is kind of large)that is equipped with right hand drive. It has a sliding door which he leaves open when he is in the neighborhood and he can therefore get in and out of truck easily. The truck is also equipped with automatic braking, as soon as he releases the accelerator the truck automatically comes to a stop and keeps the brakes applied until he gets back in the truck and presses the accelerator. This allows him to get out of the vehicle quicker then if he had to stop the truck and apply the emergency brake each time. He does about a dozen houses on our street and is gone within a couple of minutes.

Up in Michigan, we had the same system. Only drawback was the recycle bins. I didn't mind them, but they sure would not go in TV.

[Niels]

Originally Posted by gemorc

Up in Michigan, we had the same system. Only drawback was the recycle bins. I didn't mind them, but they sure would not go in TV.

Yes, I know what you mean. I don't mind the recycle bins either but sometimes it does take people a day or two to collect their bins.

[redwitch]

Think the bins would be quickly removed here given that Community Watch would be banging on their doors and leaving notes (with fines or threat of fines) rather quickly if left out after garbage pickup.

[chuckinca]

Originally Posted by Niels

I don't live in The Villages but I really don't understand why you would need three guys on a truck to do the recycling. :dontknow: Have to agree in that regard.

I live in upstate New York and we have a private garbage company. The recycling truck has only one guy. He picks up all the glass, plastic, cardboard and newspaper recyclables. He drives a special truck (it is kind of large)that is equipped with right hand drive. It has a sliding door which he leaves open when he is in the neighborhood and he can therefore get in and out of truck easily. The truck is also equipped with automatic braking, as soon as he releases the accelerator the truck automatically comes to a stop and keeps the brakes applied until he gets back in the truck and presses the accelerator. This allows him to get out of the vehicle quicker then if he had to stop the truck and apply the emergency brake each time. He does about a dozen houses on our street and is gone within a couple of minutes.

Apparently, our Norcal recycle truck drivers are wimps - the trucks have a mechanical arm that picks up and dumps the bins. The driver doesn't have to get off the comfy seat in the truck to empty the bins.

We have three different types of trucks on pick up day - one for garbage (the smallest bin), one for recycle (the mid size bin) and one for green clippings and food (the largest bin). We also have a small two quart size bucket with a cover to collect just food waste in the house to be put on the green clippings.

This system is local only - other towns have other systems or do it the old fashion way of dumping everything in one can.

[dfn8tly]

Although I bought my Village of Amelia home in Feb. I was just able to permanently relocate slightly over 4 weeks ago. I've always been in favor of recycling but here the requirements were a bit more than I was accustomed to with the special bags and days. Never-the-less, I have abided by the rules and I was quite surprised to find my recycle items account for 2 - 3 times more than the usual trash. Maybe some of us, myself included, were not being as diligent in our "green" efforts as we thought. Yes, we have a large truck, the same size as the regular trash hauler, come through but I can see where its needed in my neighborhood.

We're the biggest "throw away society" in the world. It takes only a second to decide which bag the item belongs in. Let's recover what we can. The minor cost we pay now could be huge for the future.

[SABRMnLgs]

My wife and I don't mind the recycle bins at all. We had them down in Oviedo, FL (near Orlando) for years. They were small green bins that were put out the same day as trash pick up. When you brought your garbage bins in that night, you also brought your recycle bin. Not a problem at all.
Our problem is the "racket" the garbage folks have going for themselves. Notice: 1 we have go buy bags to put recyclables in; 2 we have to separate the stuff ourselves; 3 we have to take the stuff to the curb; 4 we get added cost onto our garbage bill for doing 1,2 and 3. And let's see, oh yeah the garbage outfit pockets the money when the stuff is recycled. Hmmmm ... someone see a problem here?

Jerry Jackson (Calumet Grove) wants to go back to Oviedo and pick up his recycle bin

[Cassie325]

I am friends with the woman who pushed and pushed to get any kind of recycling here in TV's. She said it was the hardest thing to advocate for. This was the BEST compromise they could come up with. Recycling is not mandatory but very important to our environment.

I can certainly get her take on the whole thing for you if you want....having dinner with her on Thursday.

[jojo]

Cassie,

Please pass along my commendations to your friend for her advocacy for recycling. The Villages should be a model. That said, I wish there could be some tweaking. I need two bags for the recycled material and only one for trash. A suggestion would be to bundle our newspapers and other papers or put them in a paper bag for recycling. We would save on another plastic bag and make it easier to manage the recycled materials.

[Russ_Boston]

Originally Posted by ldj1938

A few years ago two Mexicans with a pickup truck and a trailer used to pick up all of the yard litter and trimmings and now it's the big truck and three guys.

Are you sure they were Mexicans? Could have made the same point by saying 'two guys'.

[Cassie325]

Originally Posted by jojo

Cassie,

Please pass along my commendations to your friend for her advocacy for recycling. The Villages should be a model. That said, I wish there could be some tweaking. I need two bags for the recycled material and only one for trash. A suggestion would be to bundle our newspapers and other papers or put them in a paper bag for recycling. We would save on another plastic bag and make it easier to manage the recycled materials.

Jojo...will do...I will ask her who she had to talk to in regards to the whole project and if there are any ongoing conversations....