I've often felt that recycling offers a matchless opportunity to the OCD-American community. Let me count the ways:
Separate corrugated cardboard
separate regular cardboard
Separate discarded mail;
separate discarded newspapers;
colored paper;
white paper;
bottles;
cans.
Of course, the result of all this zeal is to turn your house into a garbage-sorting facility, with 8 (count 'em) garbage cans. If you just get rid of the dining room table, you'll have plenty of room. Or move all the furniture into the driveway.
Good grief, I've forgotten the big stuff: medical waste, hazardous stuff like spray cans or paint, computers, and large appliances. More garbage cans! — recycling containers to you. You could build up quite a collection. And feel very smug.
I forgot plastic. What was I thinking?
Article comments
1 - Rachel
You also forgot grass clippings--and leaves.
2 - Nicolette Rivers
"You could build up quite a collection. And feel very smug."
Yeah, but not half as smug as the tone of the above.
3 - miriam
To Nicolette:
I worked in local government for 25 years, and am informed that in many jurisdictions all recycled materials go to the same landfill. Paper, particularly, is a drug on the market. You can't sell it for what it costs to collect it.
BTW, I was being--gasp--funny.
4 - Nicolette Rivers
***BTW, I was being--gasp--funny.***
Wouldn't that be for the reader to decide? I mean, I'm sure you were trying to be funny...
The only issue I had with your post was the irony of calling recyclers smug while smarminess radiates off the computer screen.
I understand not everybody supports recycling, but the effort -- if voluntary -- is based of a spirit of trying to do something positive. If local governments are taking the stuff to the same landfill, that does not change the charitable intent of the recycler.