[bthp223]

Been kinda bummed since last week, set my 2 cans out on the curb for Republic Services, one garbage and one recycle. The wife and I try very hard to shop and be mindful of or waste. Our recycle can is always full while we might have 1 full 30 gallon bag of garbage a week.

So here I am thinking I’m doing my best to help where I can….lol pun intended.

Last week, the recycle truck came while I was home, dumped the recycle in the truck and kept moving. I went out to pull the can back in and it was still 1/2 full. I dragged it back out and put it across the street for when he comes back around for that side. As he’s driving back up I motion with my hand at my waist indicating the can s still half full.

Here’s the bummer and long story short,

He stops the truck, jumps out and tells me….(in my area) it doesn’t matter because it all goes out to the landfill up at Apex, I’m wasting my time. Because in a round about way the People In This Area fill both cans with garbage. So it doesn’t go to the recycle separating place on Cheyanne.

It just bums me out for the last few years I’ve been shooting myself in the foot and we’re wasting out time.

Maybe this is more a rant and I’m done.

[GuruChicken]

This is a bummer. We are the same way as you and your wife, mindful of our waste and recycle everything we can. I've read articles that very little is actually recycled so it seems we're doing extra work for nothing. It's a real shame.

[moguldreamer]

Sadly, this same phenomenon is true across almost all of the USA. There is almost no market for mixed single-stream recyclables - Republic Services would need to pay someone to take it off their hands. It is less expensive to just bury it, and is quite legal.

If we were to separate recyclables into clear glass, colored glass, uncontaminated cardboard (e.g, no pizza boxes because of the grease), newsprint, each of the various types of plastic, Styrofoam, etc that would help. Some of those items actually have a market, but even so, not much of one.

Why, then, do most communities across the USA use a single container for recyclables? Because of our Federal Government.

Our Federal Government set in place minimum percentages of recyclables vs "trash" collected at the curbside. Communities across the nation have found that if there are multiple containers so we consumers sort recyclables, compliance went down & they missed the minimum percentages established by our Federal Government. Thus, "Single Stream" recycling was born. By using a single recycling container at the curbside, end customers like us were much more likely to use it.

The fact that there is almost no market for single-stream recyclables is besides the point. Currently, recycling is more about virtue signaling.

[orca17]

I don't find it to be much extra work to separate recyclables from regular trash. It also saves me money on trash bags.

I try to do the responsible thing. The rest is up to Republic Services.

[GuruChicken]

Originally Posted by orca17

I don't find it to be much extra work to separate recyclables from regular trash. It also saves me money on trash bags.
I try to do the responsible thing. The rest is up to Republic Services.

Don't you wash out glass and plastic items that contained food? Sure it's not much work but throwing everything in one bag would be easier, no rinsing, no thought.

It sounds like Republic Services and other companies aren't doing the responsible thing after all. So again it seems like we're doing extra work for nothing.

[orca17]

Originally Posted by GuruChicken

Don't you wash out glass and plastic items that contained food? Sure it's not much work but throwing everything in one bag would be easier, no rinsing, no thought.

It sounds like Republic Services and other companies aren't doing the responsible thing after all. So again it seems like we're doing extra work for nothing.

I don't consider rinsing containers to be labor intensive.

[WestieJeff]

It's very evident that many of my neighbors are just putting straight up trash in their recycling can. I know some are just lazy, some people genuinely don't know what's supposed to go in recycling (which I guess falls under lazy since it's right on the can), some people run out of space in their main can and just use anything so their trash doesn't pile up, and I even know at least one person who purposefully puts trash in the recycling can because he "hates recycling and anything green".

So I'm not surprised. Like George Carlin said, think of the average person you know then remind yourself that 50% of people are dumber than that.

[cb at sea]

Most of our "recyclables" used to be SHIPPED overseas....which is probably contributing to the garbage in the oceans. If items can be re-used, that's great.....we used to return soda bottles, and milk bottles when I was small! However, we actually have PLENTY of room for our trash. Not saying we shouldn't create less, but that's coming from over-packaging.

[Kalbo]

The home recycling program in America is joke. Many people know that for those that don't it helps them feel like they make a difference.

[Mariza160]

I actually got a warning notice in Pennsylvania for
putting too many food encrusted (aluminum) cans
in the regular garbage.

I spend a decent amount of time each week cleaning
out aluminum cans here for recycling. I might have to
stop the truck next week to make sure they are
actually going to the recycler rather than the landfill!
Thanks for the heads-up.