The Observation Deck

My family of 3 will probably trot out the new recycle toter every 3 weeks.
Flattening cardboard, giving the plastic bottles a squish, getting rid of air.
No reason to put the new bin on the curb until it is full.

No reason to recycle air. Given a chance, this system can work.
Put the recycle toter out when it is full.
If it smells, it is not clean enough to recycle.

You have total control over how you recycle, get rid of the air.
Fill the bin solidly and empty on your own schedule.

You do not have to present your recyclables every week.

russell dunn wrote:My family of 3 will probably trot out the new recycle toter every 3 weeks.
Flattening cardboard, giving the plastic bottles a squish, getting rid of air.
No reason to put the new bin on the curb until it is full.

No reason to recycle air. Given a chance, this system can work.
Put the recycle toter out when it is full.
If it smells, it is not clean enough to recycle.

You have total control over how you recycle, get rid of the air.
Fill the bin solidly and empty on your own schedule.

You do not have to present your recyclables every week.

Russell

You always present interesting thought, and you are correct.

However, there is another question you can answer me. Where does the recycled trash go?

Is it picked up by a glass company? a plastics company? A tin can company?

How does this system save money for Lakewood, or move the bar up on money coming back?

If anyone knows this, it should be you.

.

I've been out of the business for awhile now and can't really give an
informed answer. Suffice to say, if they are paying you it is a heck of
a lot better than you paying them. Much of the recycling leaves this country
in the shipping containers that would otherwise be returned empty to the
other side of the globe. It's our big export.

russell dunn wrote:I've been out of the business for awhile now and can't really give an
informed answer. Suffice to say, if they are paying you it is a heck of
a lot better than you paying them. Much of the recycling leaves this country
in the shipping containers that would otherwise be returned empty to the
other side of the globe. It's our big export.

Russ

This was the answer I was most afraid of.

Isn't this one of the reasons for the infamous Pacific Island Garbage Island? In an effort to
streamline profits, they are taking trash back to "recycle." When in fact most arrive back at
port empty, and ready for nice clean things to be shipped back here for us to consume.

The seperation allows a city or business to look their constituents in the eye and say, "Yes
we recycle." when the truth could be far different. This is one of the problems with the
"green religious movement." Very little critical thought. We need to recycle, it make sense,
and we should do everything that makes sense.

To do things simply so we can feel good while the truth is different is well, something that
is only based on faith.


.

Strange as it may sound, at the height of our importing frenzy a few years ago,
the otherwise empty returning TEU and FEU containers would be cut up stateside
and shipped back as scrap steel to be made into the same containers again.

They don't like shipping air, either. Cheaper to chop them up and rebuild. Most
of those containers always look pretty new. Not unusual for them to make only
one trip. Paper and cardboard are money makers for the return haul.

That garbage island sure is disturbing. I'm going to guess that a business that
actually purchases recyclable materials is not very likely to then dump that
commodity at sea. Somebody is certainly doing it, I doubt it is them.