Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Recycling


Ever since I've lived here, and who knows how many years before that, my small city has had twice a week trash pick-up.  Recycling optional and paid for by the customers.  

In my perfect world, there would be once a week trash pick-up and recycling.  There was always opposition, for various reasons that made little sense to me.  But this week, it came to be.  It was nice to drive up last night and see two containers at lots of houses.

I thought I would get one of the big, wheeled green containers to replace my little red tote, but that didn't happen.  I guess I need to call to request that.  It will be nice to be able to keep the recycling outside and dry.  And to be able to put in cardboard.

At the Ecovillage in Berea, one of the goals was to recycle as much as we put in the trash.  We actually tracked that, weighing the recycling and checking the dumpster, knowing how much a full dumpster weighs.  I've tried to maintain that goal since then and am usually pretty good at it.

Last night I made a Target run, hoping they would have some of the packaged fireworks that kids love.  And they did.  Smoke bombs and sparklers and pop-its and jumping jacks and cones.  My daughter went to a fireworks place and got some of the bigger things that adults love.  It should be a fun evening.

Happy July 4, everyone! 

 

1 comment:

Joanne S said...

i learned to recycle while living in Germany-1982 to 1988.
they were serious about it. Two cans--one garbage and one recycling.

My American Friend up the street (actually UP as in a steep hill) always overflowed the recycle into her garbage can. and got LETTERS. So one day another American was visiting and showed her how (yes, she was this dumb) to open and fold her boxes so more could go into the can. She had been throwing everything in at full volume. She had purchased TWO MORE recycle cans (like yours picture) and after the friend was finished barely one was full.

Germany also had a bottle and glass recycle at the grocery so you could bring those items when you came to shop. and I think a large cardboard recycle (IKEA boxes etc.

Then in mid summer of 88 I returned to America and there was no recycling. Sigh. So much waste.

We just bought ($90) a recycle can with lid. Our Town doesn't provide. And we have once a week pickup--two trucks one for garbage and one for recycling. I never put out garbage. Most goes into the compost pile and the rest I used to take to work with me. For the dumpster. We pay a fee for each bag of garbage and recycle is FREE. But now that I am not working--I guess I will have to do a garbage bag.