Are you a SERIOUS recycler?

[Bird]

I read an article not long ago that estimated that almost 80% of all materials collected to recycle in the USA was eventually retired to normal landfills. Not much is recycled even that collected and separated go to the same landfill where everyone else's garbage ends up, not much incentive when you know the truth of what happens.

HS

That may very well be. I can't say it would surprise me. At least for us, so far, recycling is optional. Waste Management delivered one of the carts to each home, but it's just up to the individual as to whether they use it or just put everything in their garbage can or bag. I guess we spend a little extra because we thoroughly rinse all the cans and bottles and let them dry before putting them in the recycling cart. But a lot of junk mail and other paper goes into that cart, along with all the cardbooard or pasteboard. It would be interesting to know just where the WM truck takes it, but it's not too important to me.

 

[Scooby074]

I read an article not long ago that estimated that almost 80% of all materials collected to recycle in the USA was eventually retired to normal landfills. Not much is recycled even that collected and separated go to the same landfill where everyone else's garbage ends up, not much incentive when you know the truth of what happens.

HS

I cant say what happens where you are, or the accuracy of that figure...

But here, its the opposite.

 

[JDgreen227]

As OP, the statement that 80% of recycled materials actually goes to landfills saddens me but in some areas it's doubtless true, and in many areas it's certainly 100% because the market for the materials isn't there or it just isn't cost effective to reprocess them. If I had to guess, of all the materials I recycle locally I would say the tin and aluminum cans are likley the items that produce enough profit to keep the center operating.

 

[LBrown59]

1*how much unfairness can there be in trash pickup?
..A contract is awarded in a bid process, usually to a major player (WM has it now although small local guys have had it in the past).
2*Everyone in the county has the right to use it.
Isn't that the definition of fair with open contract with access by all?
3*the rules apply county wide to all residents so I
id call that "fair".
4*When built into taxes you have no ability to "opt out" which means you'll use the pubic service since it's already paid for rather than coming up with your own "free" solution.
5*Without derailing the thread, how can you even try and argue that mandatory insurance laws are unfair?
6*Can you imagine driving if insurance was optional?
Its bad enough now with the odd dirt bag getting in accidents without insurance...
7*Who is going to pay to fix my car (or me)?

1*Evidently more than you've seen experienced or noticed.
2*That's not true here because the contract is between the city and the trash hauler .
3*Things aren't equal or fair here because the county folks are left out of the picture .
4*Which means you can easily be stuck in a raw deal
with no option to obtain better and or less costly service.
5* Because it simply increased the insurance companies consumer pool and drove up insurance premiums from a newly increased captive insurance clientele ,
While still allowing uninsureds to drive.
6*I don't have to imagine it I did if for something like 25 years before it became mandatory .
No problems with the optional insurance but within 2 weeks after mandatory insurance went into effect here in Oh somebody hit my pick up an guess what they didn't have insurance .
7* I can't say but I can say mandatory insurance won't guarantee it.

 

[houstonscott]

1*how much unfairness can there be in trash pickup?
..A contract is awarded in a bid process, usually to a major player (WM has it now although small local guys have had it in the past).
2*Everyone in the county has the right to use it.
Isn't that the definition of fair with open contract with access by all?
3*the rules apply county wide to all residents so I
id call that "fair".
4*When built into taxes you have no ability to "opt out" which means you'll use the pubic service since it's already paid for rather than coming up with your own "free" solution.
5*Without derailing the thread, how can you even try and argue that mandatory insurance laws are unfair?
6*Can you imagine driving if insurance was optional?
Its bad enough now with the odd dirt bag getting in accidents without insurance...
7*Who is going to pay to fix my car (or me)?

1*Evidently more than you've seen experienced or noticed.
2*That's not true here because the contract is between the city and the trash hauler .
3*Things aren't equal or fair here because the county folks are left out of the picture .
4*Which means you can easily be stuck in a raw deal
with no option to obtain better and or less costly service.
5* Because it simply increased the insurance companies consumer pool and drove up insurance premiums from a newly increased captive insurance clientele ,
While still allowing uninsured to drive.
6*I don't have to imagine it I did if for something like 25 years before it became mandatory .
No problems with the optional insurance but within 2 weeks after mandatory insurance went into effect here in Oh somebody hit my pick up an guess what they didn't have insurance .
7* I can't say but I can say mandatory insurance won't guarantee it. [/QUOTE]

You try to equate driving and car insurance with health insurance. While driving is not a right but a privilege the requirement to have insurance is justified.
You equate driving with being alive, and health insurance as a necessity to live.
Your augment is intellectually bankrupt.

HS

 

[kensnelling]

I'd have to disagree, HS. I would say that the right to drive only became a privilage when the states figured out they could charge you a tax for the "privilage" (i.e. a government issued license).

Back on topic. I applaud all of you who make an attempt to recycle, and have the support of your local governments. Around here, if you live in the county recycling is a pain in the rear. There is no roadside pickup, I have to haul the stuff to the nearest Met Center 12 miles away. They want everything seperated before drop off. They take all the steel and aluminum cans, no other types of non-ferous metals, only accept 2 types of plastic, demand newsprint, slicks, and computer papers be seperated from each other, clear and colored glass be seperated, no rubber of any type, etc. THEN when you get there you have to take your stuff to different stations, all the while having to listen to the "workers" complain at you. Takes about 30-45 minutes to drop off a pickup load.

No small wonder I haul metals to the scrap yards, and everything else goes in the trash or burn pile. Since my trash (private hauler) picks up once a week and we can put out a maximum of 2 plastic barrels containing bagged trash only, my weekly, conditions permiting, burn pile can get a bit of feeding.

Ken

 

[300UGUY]

One thing that really helped out in Michigan was the bottle deposit law. It really cleaned up the roads, before that, the roads were full of discarded containers. I think that law was probably the best thing the Michigan legislature ever did. BTW, it was under a republican governor. I wish that the law was extended to all beverage containers.

 

[Bird]

One thing that really helped out in Michigan was the bottle deposit law. It really cleaned up the roads, before that, the roads were full of discarded containers. I think that law was probably the best thing the Michigan legislature ever did. BTW, it was under a republican governor. I wish that the law was extended to all beverage containers.

Yep, of course I remember when milk, beer, soda bottles were all returnable. Those who did throw them away provided a little money for the kids who picked them up.

 

[LBrown59]

[/color]
1*Evidently more than you've seen experienced or noticed.
2*That's not true here because the contract is between the city and the trash hauler .
3*Things aren't equal or fair here because the county folks are left out of the picture .
4*Which means you can easily be stuck in a raw deal
with no option to obtain better and or less costly service.
5* Because it simply increased the insurance companies consumer pool and drove up insurance premiums from a newly increased captive insurance clientele ,
While still allowing uninsured to drive.
6*I don't have to imagine it I did if for something like 25 years before it became mandatory .
No problems with the optional insurance but within 2 weeks after mandatory insurance went into effect here in Oh somebody hit my pick up an guess what they didn't have insurance .
7* I can't say but I can say mandatory insurance won't guarantee it.

8*You try to equate driving and car insurance with health insurance. While driving is not a right but a privilege the requirement to have insurance is justified.
You equate driving with being alive, and health insurance as a necessity to live.
Your augment is intellectually bankrupt.

HS[/quote]
8*Your reply makes no sense and I can't see where it has any thing to do with what i said.
Very very :confused2:

 

[crashz]

I'll admit, I did not read pages 3 -5, somewhere in there we got talking about insurance? I guess its a recycleable material?

We recycle with curbside pickup. Our regular trash must fit in a wheeled 40 gallon container that is mandatory by the city. This barrel was about $150 on our water bill last year. It's size is based on household occupants and any additional trash must go in custom bags that are approved and sold by the city at ~ $15 for 7 bags. A royal pain, but it forces people to recycle. My wife was the worst offender. She would throw everything away. I'd be after her, pawing through the trash sorting everything out. When the city went to the mandatory bins, she has surpassed me as the recycler in the house. We now barely have 1 kitchen bag per week, but a sizeable bottles & cans bin as well as paper and cardboard bin.

Our city does the Haz waste pickup twice a year and allows compostable bags to be used for yard waste. The city news letter usually publishes the total tonnage of waste /recycleing and compostable material.

Up in NY, we typically bring trash waste home. Metals get recycled, as we have pallets for steel, aluminum and copper. Compost goes in the garden or topsoil pile.