Promoting Recycling - your thoughts

Helping Mother Earth, Recycling, Picking up Litter.
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Vesca
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Promoting Recycling - your thoughts

Post by Vesca »

Something that I see a lot out here that gets to me a bit is the seemingly lazy attitude when it comes to recycling. Even when there's a second bin next to the trash bin for recyclables, I still see soda cans and paper products tossed into the trash bin.

So now it gets me wondering what other people's thoughts are on the matter. I'm sure we all agree that recycling is preferable to simply sending everything to a landfill, but if there are times when you don't recycle something (or if it happened in the past), or you have any thoughts regarding the (in)convenience or social mentality regarding the process of recycling, let us know.

I would like to see this thread become a conversation regarding the pros, cons, and struggles with recycling. Maybe then we can understand our modern reality and maybe even take some steps to improving our contributions to become a greener community.
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Seraphin
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Re: Promoting Recycling - your thoughts

Post by Seraphin »

Here in my place, proper solid waste segregation, recovery and recycling were mandated under some Republic Act or Presidential Decree or something. Yet, decade after it was passed, people are still ignoring it and the recycling program have yet to be properly enforced, hence, the decree or act's objectives have remained unrealized.

Personally, I always segregate my garbage and trash, I throw my cans and paper in non-biodrgradable. Why leave them in waste landfill when there are so many applications for those materials? Among them, consumer items and some artistic decorations and crafts. Plastic as far I'm concerned also be converted to fuel and now being mixed with cement, into hollow blocks. Actually, it is said that asphalt mixed with plastic makes stronger road pavement. Cans on the other hand can turn into new cans.

There are so many possibilities!
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Holdasown
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Re: Promoting Recycling - your thoughts

Post by Holdasown »

I recycle as much as I can. I am not perfect though sometimes I pitch something and think I should try to find a way to recycle and don't. I do recycle my cans and all my glass. What gets tricky are things like dryer lint and paper. But in six weeks my brother is giving me a worm bin. A lot of paper can go in there now. Along with coffee grinds and tea leaves. I made suet for the birds this winter with oil from our food. I can't control others but I try to control my home. And my brothers are trying as well. Next is trying to find local meat. I am starting to have a hard time buying meat from the big stores. I wish we still had a butcher around here.
Vesca
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Re: Promoting Recycling - your thoughts

Post by Vesca »

Seraphin wrote:Here in my place, proper solid waste segregation, recovery and recycling were mandated under some Republic Act or Presidential Decree or something. Yet, decade after it was passed, people are still ignoring it and the recycling program have yet to be properly enforced, hence, the decree or act's objectives have remained unrealized.

Personally, I always segregate my garbage and trash, I throw my cans and paper in non-biodrgradable. Why leave them in waste landfill when there are so many applications for those materials? Among them, consumer items and some artistic decorations and crafts. Plastic as far I'm concerned also be converted to fuel and now being mixed with cement, into hollow blocks. Actually, it is said that asphalt mixed with plastic makes stronger road pavement. Cans on the other hand can turn into new cans.

There are so many possibilities!
Wow, I had never heard about mixing plastic with cement or asphalt. The things I learn every day! :D
Holdasown wrote:But in six weeks my brother is giving me a worm bin.
So I need to ask, since this is a new term for me and I'm always looking to find new ways of conserving and not being wasteful... what is a worm bin?
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Re: Promoting Recycling - your thoughts

Post by Holdasown »

Vesca wrote:So I need to ask, since this is a new term for me and I'm always looking to find new ways of conserving and not being wasteful... what is a worm bin?
It's a container that has dirt and earth worms in it. You add items, the worms eat and after so long you take the worm dirt and put the worms in new dirt. Add water and use it on plants and flowers. Great compost.

http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/Easywormbin.htm
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Seraphin
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Re: Promoting Recycling - your thoughts

Post by Seraphin »

Go Holda! Recylers like us are already contributing significantly to climate change mitigation and we're ready to do more, we deserve some support and recognition! Woot! :lol:
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Vesca
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Re: Promoting Recycling - your thoughts

Post by Vesca »

The worm idea is neat. :)

I was cleaning out my closet yesterday and it's amazing how many things are recyclable that I didn't think were (or maybe they weren't in the past), including plastic bags that hold all manner of paperwork and cds (like user manuals), dvd cases. I think all in all I took out 3 bags of recycling and only about half of a small plastic grocery bag of actual trash.
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Re: Promoting Recycling - your thoughts

Post by Vesca »

Another thought crossed my mind, though it's not strictly recycling and probably best there isn't a single thread for it. But re-purposing worn out or otherwise unusable item. Waste not good fabric on a dress that no longer fits, for example.
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Re: Promoting Recycling - your thoughts

Post by Blackthorn »

In Japan (and probably in other countries, but Japan is the one I'm most familiar with), their recycling game is STRONG. Some areas, particularly rural, require tenants to split their recycling into like 6 different categories.

One thing that I've noticed where I live, is that businesses really suck at recycling. I once worked at some place that had recycling bins next to garbage bins to induce the illusion that they were promoting recycling, but in fact both bins were thrown in the same dumpster. When I worked in hospitality, the only segregation that occurred was with alcohol cans and bottles to get a deposit back. Otherwise, all other recyclables were thrown in the trash.
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MsMollimizz
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Re: Promoting Recycling - your thoughts

Post by MsMollimizz »


We recycle all we can, those few dollars comes in handy !
In my area, all goes in one bin and is separated at site.
I've been trying to find where I can recycle Rx bottles,
anyone have any idea ???
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Vesca
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Re: Promoting Recycling - your thoughts

Post by Vesca »

Medication bottles are supposed to be recyclable but not all recycling companies do it (and if they don't, they'll filter it out of the recycling bins and dispose of them in the regular garbage). It's worth asking your local company if they do recycle them or if they know a place that you can bring them that will.

If they don't, you could try asking your pharmacy if they recycle or re-use them (or if they know where you could recycle them).
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Re: Promoting Recycling - your thoughts

Post by Red Ember »

I try to recycle as much as possible, I don't always get it right though.

Where I live we have to separate our rubbish into different bins or the council will not collect and empty them. That helps make it a bit easier as the council provide us with different bins. We also compost out food and collect rain fall. In fact our home is quite the little eco hub, we rent and the owner is very eco minded and so the house was set up for us in this way.
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