Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Recycling How-To

Recently somebody asked me for my recycling method. Here it is:

1. We pitch everything into a big, ugly blue crate outside the back door. Whatever we throw in usually bounces right back out. Depending on the weather, the time of day, and how my back is feeling, I may or may not pick it up off the grass and deposit it back into the crate.

2. When the crate is full I nag my son to empty it.

3. At some point it shows up empty.

4. My son naggingly reminds me that recycling collection is in two days. He tells me the recycling is bagged up in the shed and ready to go.

5. I drive my car over to the shed and discover that 50% of the recycling is inside bags that are way too dusty for me to put in my car. The other 50% hasn't made it into bags yet.

6. Depending on the weather, my mood, and what else I'd rather do, I may or may not go back to the house to get clean bags. If I do, I rebag, etc., until a) my car is full, or b) I get tired of doing it, whichever comes first.

I don't think my friend is planning to adopt my system.

4 comments:

crystal said...

Does your garbage company not pick up recycle? We have one garbage can allotted to that - I only recycle paper stuff and some plastic bottles - and they pick it up every two weeks. If I had to actually take it myself, it would never get done :-)

Susan said...

Hi, Crystal! No, we have no pickup. Recycling is entirely voluntary, and I'm guessing only a small percentage of the population does it. And we have limits on what we can recycle, too. For instance, I can't recycle my big yogurt containers. :-(

crystal said...

We have some limits too, and I mostly only do papaer/cardboard and the plastic water bottles I use. Probably should do the cat food cans but I'm not that inspired :-)

Indigo Bunting said...

I don't have garbage or recycling pickup, although I could if I paid for it, I guess. I end up doing it all at the transfer station every couple of weeks...