View Full Version : Decided to give recycling another try - nope!
I’d like to be able to recycle my household plastic, glass, paper, cardboard. My complex used to have recycling bins by the dumpsters, but people filled them with trash, so the bins were removed. I literally cannot find any place local to take my stuff that I can easily access. There are two places but they are only open when I’m at work. Whole Foods and Target may have had bins at one time, but not any longer. When I contacted my town, they didn’t seem to understand that where I live is not serviced by the town’s program and kept referring me to their website.
Guess I’ll just keep trashing everything. Had to run to WF for something today and it’s just effing plastic all over the place. There are more alternatives on Amazon. There weren’t even any bar shampoo options, for example.
iris lilies
7-23-23, 4:03pm
We are cutting back on what we recycle since we’re getting so many reports that plastic recycling is pretty much a waste of time. So I will recycle cardboard of which we have a lot. Also will recycle glass and aluminum cans.
gimmethesimplelife
7-24-23, 4:08am
I am mostly recycling aluminum cans and PETE #1 clear plastic bottles. Given that I live so close in to downtown there are two recycling places close to me and I make a little extra cash doing this. Now that I have a better paying job, it's not really about the money so much as the fact that my take is this - since the recycling centers pay me 70 cents a pound for cans and 25 cents a pound (just went down from 30 cents) for #1 plastic, they are going to move heaven and earth to get this money back and hopefully make a profit. Point being - there's incentive for cans and #1 plastic to actually be recycled.
The City of Phoenix accepts more than the above in our blue recycling bins - but I'm hearing more and more stories that the contents of the blue bins - other than perhaps paper and cardboard - are going straight to the landfill. I don't know that this is true and I don't know that is not true, but I have heard and read that due to China changing it's stance on recyclables in 2018, there are fewer markets for recyclable materials and it's harder to make a profit recycling now.
I have this feeiing that recycling will become less important and start fading away unless new markets are found for recyclables. It was a good idea - but it was dependent on a country (China) accepting so much of our waste. Not such a bright idea to be dependent on China for anything these days, methinks. Rob
iris lilies
7-24-23, 8:05am
Wow, that’s great that you can make a little money with number one recyclables. I don’t know what number one type plastic is but I’ll have to go seek it out to see what you’re talking about.
iris lilies
7-24-23, 8:07am
DH always has big buckets around here collecting metals. He loads the metals a couple times a year and takes them to the city. We probably made around $300 maybe more last year.
There is a recycling center near my house that takes large #2 and #5 plastics, cardboard and what they say is "anything with a cord" electronics, plus paint and other odds and ends that are hard to recycle. I drop off aluminum every couple of months to a metals recycler. I can get it for a small fee, but don't trust the curbside single stream recycling. Right now I discard paper products and glass.
My thinking about recycling shifted when I read Bright Green Lies which quantifies the negative environmental impact of recycling as well as the profitable nature of the industry. The authors state that they personally recycle because "it's the right thing to do and isn't more harmful than not recycling," but they make the point that we're fooling ourselves if we think recycling will help save the planet. Is it worse to bury cans in a landfill or pay to have recyclables shipped far away for processing? Refusing and reducing are far more effective in that regard. So I do recycle--DH and I cart our cans to the transfer station or we leave them outside our son's house in town where the homeless are happy to grab them and cash in. But I am trying to consume less plastic and aluminum. Not easy.
Electronics aren’t an issue. I either give them away or can easily find somewhere to recycle them. When I replaced my Apple Watch with the newest model earlier this year, I passed the older model to a good friend (goddaughter’s mom). Way out of her budget. She loves it. When I get a new phone, I either trade in or give away the old one. Gave away my TV on Buy Nothing group a few months back.
It’s the everyday stuff I’d like to recycle. I have a lot of cardboard from online shopping. Goes straight into the trash. I know there’s a lot of box making in the US. I suspect cardboard is easier to recycle and make into new stuff. The online shopping isn’t going away. I went to Whole Foods yesterday looking for a certain Dr Bronners balm with arnica and menthol that I’ve started using on my bad knees in place of Biofreeze. The balm is in a metal tin. WF didn’t have it, doesn’t even carry it. So back to Amazon to order more.
I grew up in MI. They’ve had a 10 cent deposit on cans and bottles since late 70s, I think.
I’m not looking to get paid for my plastic, glass, and cardboard. I’m just trying to keep it out of the trash.
My thinking about recycling shifted when I read Bright Green Lies which quantifies the negative environmental impact of recycling as well as the profitable nature of the industry. The authors state that they personally recycle because "it's the right thing to do and isn't more harmful than not recycling," but they make the point that we're fooling ourselves if we think recycling will help save the planet. Is it worse to bury cans in a landfill or pay to have recyclables shipped far away for processing? Refusing and reducing are far more effective in that regard. So I do recycle--DH and I cart our cans to the transfer station or we leave them outside our son's house in town where the homeless are happy to grab them and cash in. But I am trying to consume less plastic and aluminum. Not easy.
The problem is that packaging alternatives just aren’t offered. When I was at WF yesterday, I went over the toiletries aisles with a fine tooth comb looking for the item I wanted. There were NO bar shampoo, conditioner, or lotions offered. Tons of plastic.
I use a beeswax lotion bar that comes in a tin. I also use Nivea cream that comes in a tin. Plastic yogurt containers are probably the most plastic I generate, besides bread/bagel plastic bags. I do try to buy the quart pots, but I still eat a ton of it. Guess I should investigate making my own.
Then there’s Aldi with about all the produce wrapped in plastic.
The problem is that packaging alternatives just aren’t offered. When I was at WF yesterday, I went over the toiletries aisles with a fine tooth comb looking for the item I wanted. There were NO bar shampoo, conditioner, or lotions offered. Tons of plastic.
I agree--it's very hard to buy things that aren't packaged in plastic.
One way around the packaging waste is to buy from the bulk bins or actually prepare things at home rather than buy packaged foods in boxes or plastics. Which also hints at avoiding highly processed foods. But I know that's a tall order. Seems like there was a woman a couple of few years ago here that had a vow to avoid buying things in plastics for a year, but maybe it was somewhere else. That seems like it would be a large expenditure of energy.
I've probably spent too much time thinking about recycled electronics. As an example, lets say I have an old out dated computer with a bit of life left, but approaching obsolescence. I could give it to someone or place that might get a bit more life out of it, but then what. Will they they send it to landfill or other waste stream, or would it be better just to recycle it and assure it's end of life disposition.
My thinking about recycling shifted when I read Bright Green Lies which quantifies the negative environmental impact of recycling as well as the profitable nature of the industry. The authors state that they personally recycle because "it's the right thing to do and isn't more harmful than not recycling," but they make the point that we're fooling ourselves if we think recycling will help save the planet. Is it worse to bury cans in a landfill or pay to have recyclables shipped far away for processing? Refusing and reducing are far more effective in that regard. So I do recycle--DH and I cart our cans to the transfer station or we leave them outside our son's house in town where the homeless are happy to grab them and cash in. But I am trying to consume less plastic and aluminum. Not easy.
I’ll look up that book. Thanks
Teacher Terry
7-24-23, 10:00am
I used to go to great lengths to recycle when I lived in my first condo 26 years ago. When in a house it’s easy. Since I learned that waste management is throwing away most of the recycling I don’t worry about it being back in a condo. I do buy my soaps in big containers so I can refill the small ones to cut down on waste.
One way around the packaging waste is to buy from the bulk bins or actually prepare things at home rather than buy packaged foods in boxes or plastics. Which also hints at avoiding highly processed foods. But I know that's a tall order. Seems like there was a woman a couple of few years ago here that had a vow to avoid buying things in plastics for a year, but maybe it was somewhere else. That seems like it would be a large expenditure of energy.
I've probably spent too much time thinking about recycled electronics. As an example, lets say I have an old out dated computer with a bit of life left, but approaching obsolescence. I could give it to someone or place that might get a bit more life out of it, but then what. Will they they send it to landfill or other waste stream, or would it be better just to recycle it and assure it's end of life disposition.
Even lots of non-highly processed food is wrapped in plastic. Frozen veggies and fruit, for example. I buy frozen often as there is less waste with it being just me. I don’t do beans or lentils often. With the cost of energy to cook them, I’m better off with canned. And tomatoes are nearly always canned.
iris lilies
7-24-23, 10:10am
My thinking about recycling shifted when I read Bright Green Lies which quantifies the negative environmental impact of recycling as well as the profitable nature of the industry. The authors state that they personally recycle because "it's the right thing to do and isn't more harmful than not recycling," but they make the point that we're fooling ourselves if we think recycling will help save the planet. Is it worse to bury cans in a landfill or pay to have recyclables shipped far away for processing? Refusing and reducing are far more effective in that regard. So I do recycle--DH and I cart our cans to the transfer station or we leave them outside our son's house in town where the homeless are happy to grab them and cash in. But I am trying to consume less plastic and aluminum. Not easy.
yes, refusing and reusing are definitely better than recycling. We’ve all seen recycling go through so many versions in our lifetimes. If we are all that it’s just one more thing that makes me roll my eyes.
As for shipping things— the library where I worked withdrew 100,000 volumes each year. Much of that was print material, but some was video, CD, etc. For several years we held a 3-day book sale that essentially lost money, but that was OK as long as we were looking at it as a “community building event.”
One year we contracted with a company that picked up our withdrawn materials in a large truck and hauled them to Colorado to sell them online, giving us a split of the profit. I was skeptical that process would result in a profit for us, but it did! So that process went on for several years and I don’t know if the library is still doing it. The company said they “recycle “books they can’t sell and who knows what that means but we were able to tell concern citizens that these items were “recycled. “
iris lilies
7-24-23, 10:12am
The problem is that packaging alternatives just aren’t offered. When I was at WF yesterday, I went over the toiletries aisles with a fine tooth comb looking for the item I wanted. There were NO bar shampoo, conditioner, or lotions offered. Tons of plastic.
I use a beeswax lotion bar that comes in a tin. I also use Nivea cream that comes in a tin. Plastic yogurt containers are probably the most plastic I generate, besides bread/bagel plastic bags. I do try to buy the quart pots, but I still eat a ton of it. Guess I should investigate making my own.
I know! Finding bar soap isn’t easy. Finding powdered laundry soap in cardboard containers not easy.
Maybe this is where I got the idea? I does have some ideas, though.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/16/style/plastic-free-living.html
Life Without Plastic Is Possible. It’s Just Very Hard
gimmethesimplelife
7-24-23, 11:58am
Wow, that’s great that you can make a little money with number one recyclables. I don’t know what number one type plastic is but I’ll have to go seek it out to see what you’re talking about.IL, hi. An example of PETE #1 plastic would be the plastic bottles 20 oz. Coke or other sodas are sold in. Rob
ApatheticNoMore
7-24-23, 12:52pm
There is no recycling for renters here either. I gave up a few years ago as recycling centers (that I used to take stuff to) kept shutting down one by one. I am not imaging this, there have been news articles on how poorly the recycling even when you pay the tax on say beverage containers is working in California.
Not only are individual solutions limited, but they aren't EVEN possible to do if the infrastructure isn't there (someone to take the darn recycling without driving 30 miles). Oh I did used to leave them out, outside the trash, for homeless or whoever to collect, and they were gone. And then the landlord ALSO banned us doing that! Sometimes someone still gets in the trash though. But mostly that solution has also been blocked.
There is no recycling for renters here either. I gave up a few years ago as recycling centers (that I used to take stuff to) kept shutting down one by one. I am not imaging this, there have been news articles on how poorly the recycling even when you pay the tax on say beverage containers is working in California.
Not only are individual solutions limited, but they aren't EVEN possible to do if the infrastructure isn't there (someone to take the darn recycling without driving 30 miles). Oh I did used to leave them out, outside the trash, for homeless or whoever to collect, and they were gone. And then the landlord ALSO banned us doing that! Sometimes someone still gets in the trash though. But mostly that solution has also been derailed.
Bingo! I’m just not going to bother. I’m going to try to reduce usage and see how that goes, but don’t expect much will change.
Roger, that was a good NYT article. Thanks!
So, maybe this belongs on a different thread, but the one area in which I miss having a stockpile of old plastic supermarket bags is dog-walking. I don't have my own dog anymore, but I do dog sit for my DD's dogs frequently. Vermont has banned plastic bags and so it's impossible to find a suitable pooper scooper in my house when I need one! I wind up hoarding every plastic bag I can find. For you eco-conscious dog-owners--what do you do?
So, maybe this belongs on a different thread, but the one area in which I miss having a stockpile of old plastic supermarket bags is dog-walking. I don't have my own dog anymore, but I do dog sit for my DD's dogs frequently. Vermont has banned plastic bags and so it's impossible to find a suitable pooper scooper in my house when I need one! I wind up hoarding every plastic bag I can find. For you eco-conscious dog-owners--what do you do?
I know a lot of dog owners who buy the poop bags.
Thanks for a great conversation!
I know a lot of dog owners who buy the poop bags.
Yes, I suppose that's the best answer... and the most obvious, so thanks for reminding me that they do exist. I walked dogs for 20 years and never bought a poop bag-- I guess now's the time to include them in my pantry!
iris lilies
7-24-23, 1:42pm
Plastic supermarket bags are very useful for many things including dog poop bags, used cat litter, digging/bagging lilies and iris…many uses.
Plastic supermarket bags are very useful for many things including dog poop bags, used cat litter, digging/bagging lilies and iris…many uses.
I use them for covering the dirty boots on my diving suit for the drive home so the gravel/dirt doesn’t go all over.
After reading "A Year of No Garbage" by Eve O. Schaub, I have grudgingly changed my mind about recycling plastic as well. I have to drive many miles to the transfer station (nevertheless a really beautiful drive, as it is out in the middle-of-nowhere New Mexico) so I wait until I had a carload of stuff. My husband was drinking an inordinate amount of soda and the plastic waste would pile up so fast it was disgusting - since pop bottles are Pete 1 I will still recycle them but have quit recycling anything that is Pete 3 through 5. It is such a hard habit to break though; I literally cringe throwing away plastic but I now know it is not being recycled. We are completing a month-long special diet in which K. has given up soda pop; I can already tell the plastic waste has decreased considerably. I still recycle food cans, glass, and cardboard. We have to pay the Waste Management company $78 every three months for weekly garbage pickup. I probably only take the garbage can down our hilly gravel driveway twice a month for the pickup. For food waste I have a rotating composter that works real nice in the summer heat.
We do drink a lot of fizzy water out of aluminum cans which I save and take to a metal recycler in Santa Fe and get a little money for. I am also investigating a new shop in town (https://www.soapsantafe.com/) that sells bulk stuff - laundry detergent, dish detergent, lotions, soaps, etc in a fill-your-own bottles. I bought a small amount of face lotion to try and they put it in a little jar I brought and weighed it out - I really like it so I know I'll be back for more. As I run out of shampoo and other stuff, I wash those containers out and get them refilled there. A lot of our paper waste goes into the bin by our woodstove to save for building fires in the winter.
My husband is NOT into the recycling thing AT ALL, so I am constantly fishing things out of the trash and dealing with it. It's a part of his nature I will never change, so I gave up on that long ago. The best he'll do is set the cans and bottles aside for me instead of opening up the door and pitching them in the appropriate bin right outside on the porch.
I also grew up in Michigan which since the '70's has had a 10 cent deposit on many kinds of bottles and cans. It has really cleaned up the landscape and provides people with a way to earn cash. I have long thought that New Mexico would really benefit from a law like this - there is so much broken glass and litter along the roads and it is a really poor state, so I think some people would go and collect cans for the money.
Edited To Add: I found this place online called BuyBackworld and I got cash for old I-Pods and digital cameras. They take computers and all sorts of electronic stuff - you just plug in the model and serial numbers of your items and they tell you what they'll pay you for them. They send you a shipping label and you just pack it up and ship it to them.
Given the fact that I have a really small place, stockpiling stuff wouldn’t work either!
So not going to even bother.
frugal-one
7-24-23, 3:36pm
Here in TX it is hard to find paper grocery bags. The stores all bag groceries in plastic. I notice we are the only ones bringing our own bags. Totally opposite in the north.
happystuff
7-24-23, 6:07pm
Late to the discussion. I am more aware of packaging now. I have consciously not purchased something because of the packaging. But as one of the posts said.... it's possible, but it's hard!
Colorado requires that stores charge ten cents for plastic grocery bags. Most customers now use cloth bags because of it. As a country and as consumers, we just don't take recycling very seriously.
Colorado requires that stores charge ten cents for plastic grocery bags. Most customers now use cloth bags because of it. As a country and as consumers, we just don't take recycling very seriously.
I’d say the reduce and reuse part of that slogan need to be done more. Not just recycle.
One small thing to do because I wrote by hand a lot, I get refills for my Pilot G-2 gel pens. Turns out to be much cheaper, as well as less plastic being thrown away. I drink instant coffee at home. No little plastic pods to throw away. I mostly get Oberweis milk. Chicago area dairy, it has recyclable glass 1/2 gal containers. Tastes much better, too, although more exoensive.
Teacher Terry
7-25-23, 9:32am
I take cloth bags to the grocery store and take some of my friend’s plastic bags for garbage bags. My dog’s poops are so tiny I just use Kleenex to pick up on a walk. My dogs are pad trained and I use washable pads instead of disposable pads.
frugal-one
7-25-23, 11:04am
Why did you not train your dogs to ask to go outside?
Teacher Terry
7-27-23, 12:34am
Why did you not train your dogs to ask to go outside?
Because Maltese are only between 4-7 lbs and it’s too dangerous for them to have a dog door. We have predators including owls, hawks and coyotes. A friend of mine lost her dog when the big dog next door jumped a 6ft fence and killed her yorkie.
When I had a house I took them outside when I was home but still needed pads for when I wasn’t. Now I am in a condo on the third floor so they only get outside for their walk. I am really glad that they are pad trained because I would hate to be making that trip many times a day.
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