How much garbage do you produce each week?

How the hell do you guys not recycle? Not an indictment; just curious, considering how much of an emphasis there is on it these days.

There's a few cities in my area that are now fining people who don't recycle. If the garbageman sees empty bottles or cans in your bags, they can write you up.

 

Not every place is like that, Norman. When I lived in Wisconsin, it was mandatory to recycle.

In Indiana, there are no rules and very little emphasis on recycling at all. If you want to recycle, you're on your own.

 

A town of 200 people doesn't have those types of resources. Recycling programs are also pretty damned expensive for cities to run.

 

Interesting. I guess I just assumed that everyone did it.

Initially, I didn't buy in. But that was probably 10 years ago. Now, I'd truly feel bad if I threw a can or bottle in with the regular garbage. I've actually bitched people out at my house for doing that.

So, Bubbs and t_b_f, what if you guys just pulled aside your recyclables and threw them all into a big bag. Would the garbagemen take them and just chuck them in with the rest of the garbage? Would you ultimately be responsible for driving them to some recycling center yourself?

 

The nearest recycling program is 20 miles up the road. And since I don't live there, I'd have to pay.

 

Dayum. That's crazy. I guess you don't really have much recourse, then.

Thanks for the info.

 

Just not a priority for local governments here because it's so expensive. I know the folks on post recycle, so there may be a recycling center on post, but I have no idea where it is, but I could find it and truck my recycling there each week.

No, I take that back. I'm willing to bet the town next door handles the garbage on post.

 

HC & I do approximately a small "under the sink" garbage bag a week.

Toronto has a pretty good recycling program including the "green box" for food wastes and scraps.

There's a deposit on all beer, wine & booze bottles so they go back .

Out in the country you have to take your recyclables to a central place.

And a lot of smaller communities charge you by the bag--you pay 50 cents or something for a tag which you have to put on your garbage bags; otherwise they won't be picked up.

We're fairly conscientious about it.

 

Two bags a week, usually.

I recycle my newspapers and plastic bottles; pop and beer cans and bottles go back for that nickel deposit. And those people working at the redemption center are always a joy (not).

 

I'm shocked the govt. doesn't mandate it on military bases and the like.

 

In my hometown, you save money by recycling. Dumping costs $1 per bag (you buy tags and wrap them around the bags), but recycling is free.

In my current town, garbage pickup is mandatory (for $25/month) but they handle recycling containers as well.

At this point, it's just habit to recycle and I feel weird if I dump cans in with the regular garbage or something.

 

Take a look at how many schools don't do it.

My county buys 350,000 pounds of copy paper each year.

So far we have recycled bout 30,000 pounds of white paper.