Recycling - amazing amount

[pomtzu]

Effective 4/1, DE passed a recycling law, so now we have to do it whether we want to or not, and for a fee of course. I wasn't too happy about it at first, but after I saw the amount that just this household has to recycle, I was flabbergasted!

Our trash removal company provided the container - a 96 gallon roll out - the same size as the regular container. Tomorrow is our 1st recycle pickup - every other week as compared to weekly for the regular trash. I have been recycling for 2 weeks since they delivered the container, and it is almost full. I never would have guessed that so much of what we throw away could be recycled, and how it would add up in just a couple of weeks, and we smash down and flatten plastic jugs and bottles, and paperboard boxes, so it's not like those things are taking up a lot of space. One nice thing about this too, is that we don't have to separate paper from plastics from cans - it all gets tossed in together. I guess part of the fee they are charging us, has to go to hire people to separate it once it gets to wherever it's going.

Just thinking about what one household will recycle in a year - we have to be be saving so much that would simply go to a landfill, and not breakdown for who knows how long. I guess the law isn't so bad afterall.

[Grace]

I've been recycling for close to 30 years. We live in a rural area, so it's all on our own. No one comes to pick it up. There are containers at the Township Hall, so I drive up there every 10 days or so. We do have to separate, but it's not a problem for me.

My favorite are the glass bottles. Love to throw those things into the big metal container and hear them crash. Relieves lots of frustrations

It's amazing to me the number of products that can be made from recycled materials. A couple of my reusable grocery bags are made from recycled plastic bottles.

[pomtzu]

I've been recycling for close to 30 years. We live in a rural area, so it's all on our own. No one comes to pick it up. There are containers at the Township Hall, so I drive up there every 10 days or so. We do have to separate, but it's not a problem for me.

My favorite are the glass bottles. Love to throw those things into the big metal container and hear them crash. Relieves lots of frustrations

It's amazing to me the number of products that can be made from recycled materials. A couple of my reusable grocery bags are made from recycled plastic bottles.

Yes - I'm rural too, and have a private trash removal company. Prior to this new law, everything went in together. I was too lazy to drive in to town to any of the recycle bins, and most of the time they were nasty and overflowing, and people would toss anything and everything in them. YUK!

[Karen]

We probably have the same bins, now. It's easier than when we had to separate paper and plastic, and we recycle everything we can, and have for years! I have seen it on a show on TV, and it all goes to a place with a big conveyor belt, after they mechanically sort as much as they can - glass and metal - then it gets dumped on a conveyor for humans to sort.

[cassiesmom]

I am not as good about it as I should be. I mostly recycle soda cans and paper. I can recycle cat food cans but they have to be rinsed and the labels removed. Same thing with glass- remove the labels, discard the caps and recycle the glass. Some kinds of glass can't be recycled. I try to recycle all my plastic but some of those bottles have to be rinsed and the labels removed too. That seems like a waste of water to me, so if anyone has good ideas for how you do this, I'd appreciate any suggestions to make me a better recycler!

I take supermarket plastic bags back when I go. I'm good at that

At work we have a single container for everything recyclable and the tab tops from soda cans go to the Ronald McDonald House.

[Freedom]

Just now, we have to separate paper from the plastic - glass - metal. RI hopes to get that separator machine soon, been a lot in the local newspaper about it. That machine costs a LOT!

There are so many plastics that are marked recycle, but we can't do it here. All those deli containers? For cole slaw, potato salad and so forth? Nope, can't recycle those, here.

In my city, we had the bins and pick up, then 2 yeas back they put in "no bins, no pick up." If you don't have your recycle bins out, your household trash barrel is not collected. We saved $65,000 in the first 6 months that was put into effect!

[pomtzu]

We don't have to remove labels from cans or jars, but they have to be rinsed out. Not all plastic can be put in either, only those with the #1, 2, 4, 5, or 7 in the recycle symbol on the bottom of the container, and all plastic soda and water bottles, and milk, tea and juice jugs and all with lids removed. No plastic store bags, no styrofoam, only glass food jars and bottles, but no broken window glass or dishes or drinking glasses or the like, but just about any kind of paper or paperboard, other than waxed paper or hard cover books. So glad that there is a use for all the junk mail and catalogs and phone books - even gift wrap paper and greeting cards. It has really been a learning experience!