Recycling

No, this is not an encore presentation of my blog. So get over that thought RIGHT NOW.

Despite my conservative, free-market, capitalistic bent, I really believe in recycling. When our garbage company started curbside recycling, (that was at our last house) I was very happy to jump into it. Yes, I could have taken my recyclables somewhere for years prior to that, but I would probably have used as much gasoline as raw material we would have saved by recycling.

At this house, our garbage company has required recycling since we moved in. We had to pay for our recycling bin, which irked me, but I did it anyway. I have carefully saved this and that and have almost memorized which companies use which number of plastic in their packaging, so that I can buy the recyclable ones and MAKE A DIFFERENCE, GOSH DARNIT!

This past spring, our garbage company decided that they were sick and tired of picking up our recyclables. Or that they were sick and tired of paying the guys who pick up the recyclables. Or they were sick and tired of something, because they cut back on our recycling pickup. Instead of coming weekly, they now come every other week. Or, really, the 1st and 3rd weeks of the month. We discovered the difference when we held onto the recyclable from the wedding until the following garbage day, thinking they came every other week, and that we had to. Yes, we had trash piled in our garage. Yes, there were bugs. Regardless of how well we rinse cans and bottles, there re still microscopic scent germs that permeate the packing material, and send out signals inviting flies and picnic bugs and the like to do some natural recycling. When we finally set the stuff out, we found that we had waited for no reason; the previous week was the right week. Bummers.

It seems to have happened again, except that I know they didn't come last week. So, this week, we set out our recyclables. Today was the day. It is 9:30pm, and our recyclables still sit out there.

Enough! I said, and looked online for places I could take our own recycling. I know of the local scrap yard for aluminum cans. But, honestly, we don't use that many. Most of our stuff is paper, cardboard, or glass. You know, you can't take that stuff anywhere yourself anymore? If I were a business, I could. But, as a private home owner, I have to rely on my garbage contractor. And he's not willing to come and get it. I just can't stuff that stuff into cans. For one thing, I don't like to. This stuff can be reused, and it should be. For another, I would have to buy 1, maybe 2, more garbage cans to accommodate the extra bulk of the stuff I used to recycle. My frugal self, as teeny as she may be, doesn't want to spend the money.

I even called our garbage provider that last time, asking why they changed their policy. "Cost cutting," I was told. I said I'd be willing to pay a little more to go back to weekly recycling pickup, rather than have the infestation that was in my garage. I even left such a message on the voicemail of the president of the company, after being told that I should do so. Does it surprise anyone that, after two weeks, I am still waiting for a return pone call?

So I'm stuck with a pile of glass, cardboard and cans sitting out by the curb. I will call the garbage guy tomorrow and ask why they didn't come and get them. Maybe I'll let you know why. If not, don't lose sleep. You'll need the brainpower to accomplish the extra thinking you're going to have to do to figure out where to sleep when your house is full of trash because no one will come pick it up anymore! I wouldn't surprise me if that came to pass. "Cost cutting," you know.