Er - I've never had any problem taking the lid off, or asking to have it put in a coffee cup with a sippy-lid. Or - if it's a take-out, bringing my own washable container and transferring the paper to the washable, and tossing the paper in the recycling bin.

It's just habit, as you say. And I agree, using a straw, NOT recycling, not even thinking about it - are all habits. They're bad habits. Are you opposed to acquiring some new, good habits? I'm already working on mine. It took me around a year to stop using straws (except for slushie-type items where you can't really tip the liquid into your mouth, since it's not actually liquid, it's slush).

It sounds like all the things you say makes it difficult, is just excuses. It's not difficult at all to not use a straw. It's not difficult at all to take the lid off a cup. It's not difficult at all to sip from the rim of a glass, or cup. You've just done it some other way all your life, and having to do it differently is stressful.

Until you actually get used to doing it differently. And then - it's no longer stressful, because it's just how you're used to doing things.

Sometimes Straws are a Necessity.
 

Errrr . . . . I've never had a problem taking the lid off either, except when I'm driving that isn't a great idea.
It's not even a good idea to use my own thermal container because when I'm driving if I tilt my head up to drink, I can't see the road and would tend to swerve (did that once-- tooo dangerous!).
Coffee cups are too small for sodas or iced tea or iced coffee.

It isn't stressful to drink out of any type of glass and you saying that is laughable.
The situations I've cited are not excuses just real facts when you absolutely cannot drink from a glass.

There isn't always a solution for every single situation, you know.
Pass the straw, please! :girlneener:

How many people use a straw at home? Not sure when it became 'necessary' to use a straw in a restaurant, but that needs to change.

The only thing we use straws for is for a vanilla malted milk for two once a year or so.

Straws are not the only problem. What about all the "clam shell" clear plastic containers that vegetables, fruits, baked goods come in. Just because the recycle sign may be stamped on them doesn't mean they recycle here. If you read the guidelines for No. Sumter Utility District, it looks like only narrow neck plastic containers recycle.

I read an article about recycling plastic a bit ago. Clam shells contain two strengths of plastic--stronger for the container and weaker for the hinge. The two cannot be combined in recycling and there is no way to separate the weak hinge from the stronger container. Also, the patten for the recycle symbol, which first came out in the '70s, expired a long time ago, and anyone can put that symbol on anything they like with impunity. Some of the items that have that symbol on them are actually not recyclable.


I can't remember if I put the article up before. It's from The Guardian: How you're recycling plastic wrong, from coffee cups to toothpaste | Environment | The Guardian

My thought exactly. The whole presentation thing was just a set up to justify an upcoming rate increase.

Would you rather they raise the rates woith justification?? Some of us appreciate being informed.

So you don't think there is an issue right?

Rate increases are not an issue?

Another point, lot of discussion on straws which make up only .025% of 8 Million metric tons of plastic that show up in the ocean. Shouldn't we be focused on the 99.8% in our discussions? Straws are easy because it requires minimal behavior changes on our part, the rest might require us to do more which many are not willing to do.

Huh...Plastic straws are made from Ethylene...Ethylene's hydrate is Ethanol.

Coincidence?

I'm going to start drinking muh beer with a straw :)

Then - disposable diapers, plastic bags, and take-out containers. Are you willing to give all three up? I'm not specifying what kind of plastic bags. ALL plastic bags. Including garbage bags, trash can liners, kitty litter bags, grocery bags, ziplock bags for the fridge and freezer, sandwich bags, etc. etc. etc.

If we start with straws, we're doing SOMETHING other than just saying "let's do something, but not straws." You have to start somewhere. Straws are the least-used item that has the least impact on civilization.

To Midnight Cowgirl, stop trying to take a drink while you're driving. You shouldn't be doing that anyway, with or without a straw. Problem solved.

I just checked out the presentation on solid waste disposal for the Villages and have to say it is an extremely flawed and misleading study. The data used simply does not reflect reality. The study shows that the Villages has a lower annual trash removal cost per household than the national average and much lower than several major urban areas. I certainly hope so given the following facts that were omitted from the study. 1) A very large percentage of Villages home owners are not using their homes (and producing zero trash) for a very large part of the year, despite paying for trash removal year round, 2) The average household size in the country is over 3 people per home (and more in many urban areas) while most homes in the Villages have two (and many only one) resident(s), 3) In most cases, seniors (The Villages population) produce less trash than the typical younger person (seniors eat out more and eat less in general).

What a household pays per year for trash pick up is not the relevant statistic, what matters is what each household pays per year in relation to the amount of trash that is taken away! It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that the average annual trash pick up cost for a Villager should be way below the national average, because the average Villager produces much less trash! The only two things a logical person can take away from the study is 1) The data does not show one way or another if Villagers are getting a good rate for trash pick up, based on the the volume of trash they produce, and 2) Full time residents are clearly getting their trash rates subisdized by the part time residents who pay for trash pick up year round (yes, the same snow birds the full time residents love to complain about).

You are correct!

Unfortunately, there are a number of things we should focus on but don't. Man (meaning we humans) is inherently lazy. It truly is easy to change some of our bad habits, particularly when it comes to recycling. Since China is no longer accepting our plastics, I am certain we will see new laws appearing on the plastic and recycling scene.

Another thing -- laws have to change so that people are forced to do the right thing. It's really sad that it would have to come to that for us to change our lazy, bad habits.

It is sad, definitely. It's even sadder that some of those "in authority" with the power to actually do something about it, deny that it's a problem that needs anything done about it at all.

Ecology? Why? The earth isn't suffering. Let's build more instead. Let's dig into our planet more and rip out more coal. Can't find it there? Then dig in somewhere else til you find it. Just keep digging - don't worry, the ground won't collapse.

Save the whales? Why? They're big and ugly, who cares if they die from eating plastic? Food chain? Screw the food chain. My food chain is cheeseburgers and McNuggets. You don't need anything else. The whales can die.

Fresh water? To heck with that. It's a minority town, no one cares if their kids are poisoned. Keep dumping toxic waste into the rivers and stop worrying about it.

Climate change? Doesn't exist. Let's give those car manufacturers and other manufacturers some more tax breaks and get rid of those silly pesky limits on how much waste and pollution they're allowed to create.

Cup Holders are Useful
 

In the center console of my car, I have two cup holders and I choose to use them for the function for which they were designed.

In addition, that's where I keep my quarter for Aldi's shopping cart, but that doesn't interfere with my glass being in the holder, too.

I shouldn't be doing that anyway? Sez who???
I don't have a problem with that.

Most Americans are Just Plain Lazy!
 

Obviously, Ontario is going overboard and doing the right thing with trash, garbage, etc.
I applaud their efforts and everyone who abides by their rules.

I think to myself how something such as you described will NEVER happen in TV. Can you imagine?
Half the residents here complain and moan about just having a trash can and the developer obviously has no plans to change the way things are done!

Going the extra mile here just isn't in anyone's agenda to do the right thing to help the environment.
I see no beneficial results happening.

Yup. Most people here are inherently lazy and can't be bothered.
It's sad that the next generations are the ones who will be paying the price for all the things we aren't doing.

I lived in Michigan - not far from Sarnia. Everyday there was a parade of garbage trucks from Canada crossing the border and traveling down I69 towards Flint, Michigan. Why were we accepting their recycling or whatever was in the trucks?

Perhaps It's the Other Way Around???
 

At the risk of sounding really stupid, could the Canadian trucks be picking up recyclable stuff as opposed to taking things to the U. S.???:shrug:

A quick search turned this up. :shrug:

Canadian Garbage to Michigan Landfills (stir here)

NOT to dump garbage where it's allowed, with the least expensive overall cost...would be dumb.

As a general rule, with my extensive lifelong interaction with a lot of average Canadian's...they are anything but dumb. :thumbup:

How did you come to this conclusion?

What's even harder for me to believe, is that up until 1992 New York City was towing barges of human waste out to sea...and just dumping it! :22yikes:

NYC Sludge (Flush Here)

Simply nuts IMHO. :ohdear:

It's a hypothesis. My hypothesis is similar, but different: Most people in The Villages have a sense of entitlement, and refuse to be pro-active in cleaning up the environment because it'd mean inconveniencing themselves, or making their front yard look a little less perfect, or it'd mean (heavens forfend) composting, which is what farmers and people who live in tiny homes do, not THEM.

wow!!!

Yes -- Laziness prevails!
 

If you look at the ongoing comments regarding doing anything to help environmental things, you will see that many residents are against them. I say against them because they do nothing to show they are doing anything positive; progressive thinking is not in most people's vocabulary. I'm not just speaking about recent comments. I'm speaking about comments that have been ongoing for years.

I see plastic items in trash bags on trash day -- not for recycling but in with other trash.
Maybe 1% of residents compost (1% is even doubtful) and there are many residents who throw compostable garbage in with their trash.

Do you know how many plastic bags are going into the landfill on a weekly basis? Thousands! And they will never disintegrate in our lifetime and perhaps not even at all!
But residents don't want trash cans and some even say they will still use plastic bags. Why???

Truthfully, if anything progressive or ecologically sound is to happen regarding trash, it must begin with the developer.

How many people do you know who refuse to buy water in plastic bottles?
Frankly, I don't know anyone who doesn't, but I don't and won't. And no; I'm not perfect, but I do try.

Should I go on? I think you get my drift. Enough said!

The last time I was down there adding more furniture to my house, I decided to see how I could do without buying a case of water. But I still prefer the taste of spring water (not distilled or "drinking water," ewww). So I bought one of those huge jugs that you turn sideways and use the built-in spigot to pour it into your glass.

And I used a half-litre bottle that was already empty, which I cleaned out every time I emptied it. I absolutely need to be able to carry around a bottle of water that won't leak, and is small enough to fit in my purse. So my thermos is not a good option for me, and those small water bottles are perfect.

Turns out there's a learning curve to those jugs. They pour all over the floor and your wrist til you figure it out! Especially if it's first thing in the morning and you don't have your glasses on yet. :) :)

But after the first couple of days I was an old pro. It's much less expensive than the case of bottles and takes up less room overall.
I'll just have to adjust the shelving in the fridge a notch, and then it'll be just right.

Yes it's still a plastic jug. But it's one plastic jug that is fully recyclable instead of 28 individual water bottles.

The topic is potential changes to recycling program in The Villages. The thread has strayed into many other areas. Please try to stay on topic.

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