If you didn't *have* to, would you still recycle your rubbish?

[JoySzasz]

I live in the US,in my small town it is not (as yet) the law to recycle anything!

I used to be very organized,all our 'trash' was correctly placed in the correct recycling bin.

Now I don't life has got way too hectic,and I noticed that all of my paper and plastic would end up strewn all over the lawn.

I opted to just do glass.

From friends and family back in the UK,I have learnt that there is no option -one must. Many of them hate all the various different bins etc...and have confessed they wouldn't bother if it was not the law.

So,if you didn't have to ...would you still bother?

Honestly ...?

[Jaspants]

People are saying it's not compulsory, but our council make it very awkward if you don't.

Like someone mentioned upthread ours go through and give you a warning if you put recyclables in with the landfill waste.

They also only collect non recyclables fortnightly; but recycling weekly - however there are a total of 5 (soon to be 6) separate vessels to be put out - 3 of which are open crates, so on a windy day there are bottles, tins and paper all over the place.

[LineRunner]

OP Oh, I'm just a big old conspiracy theorist. I imagine hoards of Daily Mail readers pretending that recycling is the work of the devil.

Seriously, I'm amazed that some councils still don't have lidded mixed recyclable wheelie bins. The technology exists! I guess its all about good contract negotiation with collection companies.

Mixed Recycling Facilities separate out different materials. They can even now separate out different coloured glass using spectrum recognition and air jets.

I'm quite geeky, really, aren't I?

[PicaK]

Yes. We too have a fab council where everything goes in one bin and they sort it out. Makes it v easy. I resisted for years (out of laziness) but now it's second nature.

Plus I applaud councils who will only collect rubbish every 2 weeks. Like me, I thinkpeople need to be pushed to do the right thing.

[WowOoo]

Yes, i would. Have done for years. Think it's the right thing to do.

But yes, it is a pain in the arse sometimes!

[OldMacEIEIO]

No

and the older I get, the more I detest the eco-fascists

[LoopyLoopsBettyBoops]

Of course.


How on earth in this day and age can you possibly justify being so lazy that you can't handle putting things in a separate bin?

[JoySzasz]

linerunner This is a very small town. I was surprised they even attempted any form of recycling system at all.

Folk law round here suggests it all end up in the same dump.

For the mo, I will continue to do glass -then up my contribution on return to the UK.

Oh,BTW my Dad does think it is the work of the devil...he doesn't read the Daily Mail though

[RitaBix]

I dont know.It is a real pain putting them in different bins

tricky

[DilysPrice]

It became compulsory in our area this year, but I did recycle before then, and, judging from the number of recycling bags that were always put out in the street on bin day, so did almost everyone else in my road (some had a better grasp than others of what was meant to be recycled, mind you).

It helps that we have a super-simple system - glass, plastics, paper, cardboard, cans, Tetrapaks all go in the orange sacs, everything else goes in your wheely bin - both are collected on the same day every week.

[Cyclops99]

I started recycling the plastics and cardboard before the council started collecting it. I saved it all up in the garage and took it to the tip when I was passing.

I do believe it's the responsible thing to do and we should always think twice before we put something in landfill, especially in this small country.

Things is, for our family of four, if we compost and recycle all we can then the landfill bin is sufficient for two weeks. Some of my neighbours have the same size bin for a one person household so could get away with not recycling. No one checks our landfill bins here.

I do have concern about recycling the plastic bottles though as I believe the get shipped to third world countries and somehow that doesn't seem too green..

[BabyDubsEverywhere]

I do...at the start of the week, by the time its due to be collected we end up filling the green bin with the excess from the grey bin. We seem to have a lot of rubbish and i dont drive....what else am i supposed to do with it?

[fuckmepinkandcallmerosie]

Where I live we have 3 bins, one for garden/compost waste, one for plastic and paper and a black bin.

If you put the wrong stuff in the plastic or compost bin the bin men don't take it and put tape across the bin which says "CONTAMINATED" in big red letters, and they tape a list to the top of what goes in what bin.

They have a bin inspector whose job it is to do this.

[JoySzasz]

fuckme do you live in the UK?

[LaWeasel]

We had that too where we used to live - not contaminated, but a big sticked where they tick what's in it which shouldn't be.

This was in the UK.

I think it is a local council decision. You definately DO have to in some areas, but I know in some areas you don't, or there are exceptions - for eg, people in flats don't have to in a lot of places.

[fuckmepinkandcallmerosie]

Yip, in the UK

[Meglet]

yes. I love sorting things.

I do batteries, paint, foil, glass, metal, paper, card, old clothes, garden cuttings..... etc. Our tip is very well organised and nearly everything has a special skip / bin. The council collect the plastic and paper each week.

[LostMyIdentityAlongTheWay]

Absolutely, yes. We also compost as much as possible, give scraps that are suitable to the chickens - and make it a point of pride to have just one black plastic sack per week, because the rest of it has been recycled or disposed of as above.

Sorry - I'm totally hardline on this. No room for laziness. Surely most of us have kids - we have a duty of care to them to not fuck up the world in any way possible.

[LineRunner]

Btw OP there are many urban myths about recyclables ending up in one big tip. It doesn't in the UK - the law is strict. The real battle is making sure that wide-boy contractors don't ship crap out to the developing world. Most UK councils are really careful about this now.

[chicletteeth]

It's not the law here, AFAIK.

I positively itch when I can't put things where they're meant to be.

I know that sounds OTT but our compost was out of commission (so to speak) for a while and we couldn't compost anything (other than starting another one which for a few reasons we couldn't) and I just couldn't bring myself to throw peelings, eggshells, fruit, teabags etc.. in the bin.

I couldn't do it!

Had to use the neighbours until we got ours sorted.

I would do it regardless, if not just out of a blind habit now.

We are a family of six and we throw away two small bin-bags per week (and that's with two in nappies).

That's not trying to brag about how green I am, but just as an example of how much you don't have to throw away and what doesn't need to go into landfill

[whackamole]

Yes I would. I used to cart all my recycling to the shops before we had a recycling bin (an official one I mean), now all I need to do is stop OH from putting every single thing in there!

[DontGoCurly]

No way would I. I pay ?600 a year management fees. They can do it. Life's too short to wash yougurt pots.

[LostMyIdentityAlongTheWay]

@Curly.

It's not recycling that made your hair curl, or whatever... Go on. Grow up. Be adult and recycle. You might enjoy it!!

[LineRunner]

Chic I knew I was rushing that previous post, DS wanted his supper! Sorry.

The law is at present a system of directives and fiscal consequences. Thus landfill tax having been hiked so much by consecutive governments means that recycling makes good economics for councils. Also if a council collects for recycling it can't send the stuff to landfill. These kinds of things are pretty transparent and checkable.

You sound bloody brilliant btw. I have an 'open air' wormery-composter I invented myself which triples up as a miniature meadow and insect haven. Yeah, I know, I am completely fucking mental.

[LostMyIdentityAlongTheWay]

Line and Chic not mental at all. I think there's something totally addictive about recycling and composting!!

Our world has finite resources and it behoves us to treat it with respect. We dont' own the fucking planet!!