Recycling household waste when you don’t have the service

[catherine]

What are our other alternatives?

I say we build a launch on an unused shuttle pad and shoot it into space. It should take us a while to pollute outer space. Or aim it at another planet--one with enough gravity to keep the crap in tow.

[kib]

Maybe we could aim for a ring around the moon. That way it wouldn't be too much trouble to get it back when we run out of materials here.

[SteveinMN]

I say we build a launch on an unused shuttle pad and shoot it into space. It should take us a while to pollute outer space.

Actually, it would appear mankind already is doing a good job at that... "How Much Junk Is In Space?"

[mschrisgo2]

We just got the year's schedule and guidelines from waste management. They have added several options this year: up to 3 gallons of oil- cooking or motor- can be picked up per week; a second "free" bulk waste pickup, 4x4x8, along with a suggestion to partner with neighbors to be sure its at maximum size (they want that truck to return full); option of recycling a large bag of clean aluminum cans per week, to be credited to one of several nonprofits. I'm especially pleased about this last item, as my church youth group has collected and recycled cans for many years and they were accepted into this program. No more dragging cans to church! The teens have already mounted a social media blitz to increase their take.

There is clarification about what goes in each barrel- garbage, recycling, green waste. A small area is piloting collection of food waste; it will be analyzed for content, composted, and available at $1/5 lb. bag, to residents of our county only, for garden use.

They have opened 4 new toxic waste collection sites, for a total of 8 now, and listed all of the things that should be taken there- including Round-up!- and emphasized "you don't have to get out of your vehicle, you get it to us, we will unload it for you."

The toxic waste stations also include a "store" to buy small amount of perfectly good products that were turned in. I've gotten wood stain, paint, lawn fertilizer, plastic conditioner. You can't beat $2 for a gallon of very light gray paint to use as an undercoat. The garden compost will also be sold there.

I have to say I am very impressed. I think a lot of thought went into the additions, and will be used and well-received. This is California, and a geographically large county, ranging from very rural to a very dense urban area. I see an effort made to recycle and reuse, as well as generally clean up, with clarity and education to support the efforts.

[jp1]

When I bought new tires it didn't even occur to me to think about where the old ones went. Costco didn't offer to give them back to me, and I didn't want them. I have no idea what colorado's 4 1/2 year ago policy on dead tire disposal was. It's entirely possible that they ended up in a landfill.

One of the things I like about living in San Francisco is that we have great trash pickup service. I'm curious whether our recycling is still as recycled as Recology's (our waste company) web site claims. But I'm more confident that the curbside compost collection is still being turned into compost that gets used by the grape farmers in the surrounding areas. All of our food waste, plus non-recyclable stuff like shredded paper and non-recyclable cardboard goes into the compost bin. And probably way more significantly, all the food waste from every restaurant in the city gets collected for compost. SO works at a large hotel that has six large compost bins of waste collected every day and that's just one commercial food prep place out of many in this city.

The other thing about California as a whole is that electronics are assessed a disposal surcharge at the time of purchase. Consequently they can be dropped off at the end of their lifecycle with a certified electronics recycle place and I have at least some level of trust that they will be disposed of in some sort of environmentally decent way.

[mschrisgo2]

Great points, jp1. We are still spreading the word that every Best Buy Store is an electronics recycling collection site. So easy to drop stuff off as you replace it.

i am so pleased to hear that the hotels and restaurants got on board with the composting. I worked in the City briefly when that was first brought on board, and I remember that there was some resistance because it required changes in long-time procedures.

Really, it all boils down to the question- How will I get rid of this when I don’t want it any more?

[kib]

mschrisgo2, that's so impressive. If you don't mind, what county is this? I'd love some ideas for advocacy.

[Teacher Terry]

My friend tried to drop off old cell phones at Best Buy in Nevada and they wouldn’t take them.