Why I Don’t Recycle

[Williamsmith]

Move to Middlesex County where disposal of all those things you mentioned are absolutely free. And they don't wind up in the landfill.

Catherine, I know you don’t really believe it’s free. Nothing is FREE!

[ApatheticNoMore]

Move to Middlesex County where disposal of all those things you mentioned are absolutely free. And they don't wind up in the landfill.

I really have no idea if they really end up in the landfill, I haven't investigated that much. If anything it probably ends up in 3rd world countries ... But yes disposal of electronic and other toxic waste is free here (or the city/county pays for it which makes perfect sense if it actually has a benefit of less pollution etc.) but you do have to either take it to an waste disposal place or go to the regular roving events they have for electronic etc. waste disposal. I do. But I also see the apartment dumpster, not everyone is doing that ... that is why I am saying excavating the landfills seems like it will release a lot of toxins (maybe our robot overlords will have it all figured out by then though).

[catherine]

Catherine, I know you don’t really believe it’s free. Nothing is FREE!

OK, yes, my taxes pay for it. True.

[Williamsmith]

i am attempting to return my trash to point of purchase - for example, when I go to the grocery store, I drop a plastic bag of food packaging trash in the trash can out front. I have no concerns about this because the cans are clearly for customers, I am a customer, and the trash was provided to me by the store in spite of my best efforts to avoid it. If they want to pass the cost of trash disposal on to shoppers, i’m Ok with that too. It brings the “true cost” closer to the consumer.

i also burn some “trash” such as wood scrap, waxed or food contaminated paper, and low grade paper (used in starting the wood stove)

Okay, so I read about a group that takes this to a deeper level......they actually unwrap the packaging at checkout and leave it at the store. Oh Boy!

[Rogar]

Twice I have picked local trash collection companies and both time they have been bought up by Waste Management. I don't use curbside recycling, but take them to a separate recycle center. I roughly estimate that my collection fees have increased 50% over the last five or eight years. At first it was a fuel adjustment tax. Now they just bump up the rate every several months. I suspect much of this is due to increased landfill use fees. At my closest landfill the charge for a pickup full of waste loaded bed high is close to $50. I could almost see recycling as one of the tools to unplugging from Waste Management. But it's probably a fact that the more waste we generate the more expensive it's going to be to get rid of.

[Williamsmith]

Switzerland apparently has a waste removal system run by the state government. The only bag you can use for refuse is the official sanctioned state bag. It costs 10 euros for one bag.....I figured that to be $12 ish. So nothing gets thrown away in the trash unless it’s definitely not recyclable. I wonder if there is a black market for counterfeit trash bags?

[catherine]

A little inspiration for y'all. Y'all including me.

https://www.treehugger.com/green-hom...ould-know.html

[catherine]

Let me just say that it's not a good idea to clean out your refrigerator on the same day you take a recycling class and toggle back and forth on a simple living board on the topic of recycling.

I'm disgusted with myself. A half a pint of pure Vermont maple syrup spilled all over one of the shelves. I had to wipe out two 1/4 full Tostito dip jars to prepare them for recycling. I had to get rid of 3 beautiful but well past prime peppers, a moldy half finished container of sour cream, and a whole bag of Trader Joe moldy spinach, and a couple of cups of dead mushroom soup (homemade). And that's not all.

I tell myself that much of this was leftover from over-shopping for my kids at Christmastime (yes, a month ago, but I've been busy this month), but it still grosses me out and doesn't make me feel good bout my own food waste habits.

[Williamsmith]

Let me just say that it's not a good idea to clean out your refrigerator on the same day you take a recycling class and toggle back and forth on a simple living board on the topic of recycling.

I'm disgusted with myself. A half a pint of pure Vermont maple syrup spilled all over one of the shelves. I had to wipe out two 1/4 full Tostito dip jars to prepare them for recycling. I had to get rid of 3 beautiful but well past prime peppers, a moldy half finished container of sour cream, and a whole bag of Trader Joe moldy spinach, and a couple of cups of dead mushroom soup (homemade). And that's not all.

I tell myself that much of this was leftover from over-shopping for my kids at Christmastime (yes, a month ago, but I've been busy this month), but it still grosses me out and doesn't make me feel good bout my own food waste habits.

Your Welcome!

[flowerseverywhere]

instead of worrying about what happens to your waste when it is trucked away, try producing less

If everyone tried to reduce reduce their consumption as much as possible it would be a huge start

but here is some irony. A bottling company close by bottles our tap water to sell. I know people who won’t drink our water but instead buy plastic bottles of water, who knows where they are bottled and shipped from. Ridiculous. Your city and county should have testing reports of what is in your water.