Do you Recycle?

[Bookishleigh]

I recycle my cardboard boxes in to cat toys.

They work on children too - mine created a spaceship for the cat.

It was easier to recycle when I was in my house and just had one large container all the recyclable items went in to. It's a bit harder now, but I still try - especially the plastic water bottles.

There is an excellent website called freecycle to help you get rid of items that may be reused again. I got all my moving boxes from someone on freecycle - then I turned around posted them again to give to someone else. Those things are ridiculously expensive and can be used a couple times before they're crap.

 

[mortis]

Yes, it is mandatory here. We have a large blue bin on wheels for recycling. If you are caught dumping non-recyclable items into the bin, you get a fine!

A fine like a good Boston mother telling me to clean my plate and if I didn't ask for thirds she would guilt me by saying don't you like my cooking?

 

[RobDownSouth]

That's the kind of info I was looking for.
Trying to find figures in Oz is almost impossible - each site has different numbers.
I wonder what it is for paper, plastics, etc?

My understanding is that it is very unprofitable to recycle paper and plastic alone, but the profits from metal and aluminum recycling pays the cost of the entire recycling programs. It's a win for the recycling companies and a win for the environment.

I didn't know that 50% of American aluminum cans are recycled.

 

[nerfhearder]

Sorta. The blue recycling can is full every other Friday when they pick it up so I guess I'm doing my part. It's what I tell myself anyway.

 

[subgreen]

I compost and recycle

 

[Bookishleigh]

I compost and recycle

Composting is a serious commitment. I looked into it when I had a house, but I knew my then husband would never go for it (a compost pile). There is a company here that will come pick up your "compostable" items and then compost them for you, returning the compost juice/tea to use on your yard.

 

[nerfhearder]

Sometimes I'll throw fruit off the deck against a tree in the backyard because it's fun and the bunnies can eat it. I call it composting just so people don't think I'm weird. Truth is it's just my inner Gallagher.

 

[subgreen]

Composting is a serious commitment. I looked into it when I had a house, but I knew my then husband would never go for it (a compost pile). There is a company here that will come pick up your "compostable" items and then compost them for you, returning the compost juice/tea to use on your yard.

Composting is not that difficult. I just have a 5-gallon bucket and a lid that I throw kitchen scraps in. I collect bags of leaves and grass clippings to build the pile and cover the fresh scraps.

I do more of a passive type composting and get two or three finished heaps a year.

 

[Bookishleigh]

Sometimes I'll throw fruit off the deck against a tree in the backyard because it's fun and the bunnies can eat it. I call it composting just so people don't think I'm weird. Truth is it's just my inner Gallagher.

Ha!! I loved Gallagher growing up. And better the fruit in your yard than in a plastic bag in a landfill.

 

[Hard_Rom]

When the plastic companies foresaw the decline and fall of plastic bags, they hooked the world on plastic bottles. And hid beads in cosmetics.

 

[Bookishleigh]

When the plastic companies foresaw the decline and fall of plastic bags, they hooked the world on plastic bottles. And hid beads in cosmetics.

Indiana actually passed legislation protecting the rights of plastic bags - well, the consumers that use them. Some locales will now charge a tax for the use of plastic bags in an effort to curtail their use, but backward Indiana instead bans such legislation. Luckily, some stores have circumvented this by rewarding shoppers who bring in their own bags by giving them so many cents back per bag. It's not that much but it adds up and you aren't contributing.

I need to find a solution for the water issue. You can see the sediment in the dog's water bowl only after a couple hours - and I cannot stand the taste of the tap water. I may look into one of those filtration systems you can put on your faucet.

 

[yossi]

I do recycle, but I need to start a compost.

 

[FelicityJohns]

I was religious about recycling trash when we lived in town. With pick up and the bins to put it in, it was effortless. I tried to keep up with it when we moved to the back of beyond, but it became impossible to store it all for the very infrequent trips to the recycling center 30 miles away.

I do compost everything. And I re-purpose everything I can in favor of buying new. I suppose it's my little compromise. We drink well water, never bottled (I keep a flat in the emergency closet, but it's like five years old now...) I also grow much of our food, so it doesn't come in containers

 

[DaddysTastyTreat]

Do I recycle?

Only my lovers *laughs*

 

[Wrong Element]

I recycle whenever possible. Seriously, is it that much harder to toss pop cans and water bottles into a recyclables container as opposed to into the garbage?

 

[Conager]

If you recycle just one thing....aluminum....you're doing the environment quite a favor.

Every pound of aluminum recycled (roughly 33 12-oz. cans) can be done at the cost of 10% of smelting bauxite ore into aluminum.

One recycled pound saves the equivalent of driving 280 miles of auto exhaust and pollution.

...or you could just cut back on the soda.

 

[hashtag45]

I recycle whenever possible. Seriously, is it that much harder to toss pop cans and water bottles into a recyclables container as opposed to into the garbage?

It is, for those who aren't as OCD as you guys.

Seriously, I'm more disorganized at my baseline than you more obsessional guys are. So these things that you find so easy, are more difficult for me. I always had to put my entire energy in addressing my flaw at work, cause it paid the bills, so I can't be bothered at home. And it's not the recycling stuff by itself; because this and that add up, and it all becomes an ordeal.

 

[Bookishleigh]

It is, for those who aren't as OCD as you guys.

Seriously, I'm more disorganized at my baseline than you more obsessional guys are. So these things that you find so easy, are more difficult for me. I always had to put my entire energy in addressing my flaw at work, cause it paid the bills, so I can't be bothered at home. And it's not the recycling stuff by itself; because this and that add up, and it all becomes an ordeal.

I don't know about other states but in my state they give you a huge trash can and all your recycle items can go in it, which the facility will later sort out. Honestly, most everything could go in it except for food and electronics. It's super easy.

 

[RobDownSouth]

I don't know about other states but in my state they give you a huge trash can and all your recycle items can go in it, which the facility will later sort out. Honestly, most everything could go in it except for food and electronics. It's super easy.

Same here. We have warnings on the inside lids of the recycle cans "Absolutely NO PIZZA BOXES".

 

[hashtag45]

I don't know about other states but in my state they give you a huge trash can and all your recycle items can go in it, which the facility will later sort out. Honestly, most everything could go in it except for food and electronics. It's super easy.

They provide us with free recycling bins (for the karger stuff) and boxes (for glass bottles etc.) too.
But I guess I've been selfish in that way for so long, and changing one's habits is not too easy.

 

[Bookishleigh]

Same here. We have warnings on the inside lids of the recycle cans "Absolutely NO PIZZA BOXES".

Pizza gets no recycle love. Perhaps Trump can build his wall with all the discarded pizza boxes...

 

[Hard_Rom]

I don't know about other states but in my state they give you a huge trash can and all your recycle items can go in it, which the facility will later sort out. Honestly, most everything could go in it except for food and electronics. It's super easy.

Scrap yards will pay for electronics. Not much but a few cents maybe a buck. Big one here in town has a free drop off for electronics and appliances. This way they get scrap and precious metals for free.

 

[Disgustipated]

I recycle whenever possible. Seriously, is it that much harder to toss pop cans and water bottles into a recyclables container as opposed to into the garbage?

No. How the fuck is this even a discussion outside those Oregon survivalist fucks who burn their junk?

 

[pointless]

we have deposits on soda and beer so that's like automatic if you know the value of a dime and how quickly they can add up. water bottles not so much. they should add water bottles, of course. they won't. there's a reason, but it sucks too hard to mention it beyond saying fucking capitalism, yo.

 

[Disgustipated]

we have deposits on soda and beer so that's like automatic if you know the value of a dime and how quickly they can add up. water bottles not so much. they should add water bottles, of course. they won't. there's a reason, but it sucks too hard to mention it beyond saying fucking capitalism, yo.

It's not like Michigan could use the revenue from all those freshly purchased water bottles. Flint.