recycling made easy

[grace]

I have heard that the men in the orange jumpsuits sort trash at the landfill, with or with out the blue bag. If that is the case, why use blue PLASTIC bags to separate trash that will be sorted any way

 

[Smiling JOe]

I have heard that the men in the orange jumpsuits sort trash at the landfill, with or with out the blue bag. If that is the case, why use blue PLASTIC bags to separate trash that will be sorted any way

The recyclables must be clean and paper must be dry in order for it to get recycled. If the clean recyclables are thrown in with the dirty garbage, they will not get recycled. That is where the blue bags come in. They are helpful in presorting garbage from clean recyclables, but yes, when they are all crushed in with the dirty garbage, the recycle percentage of garbage probably decreases, but it is still likely to be much higher than no separating of the clean recyclables from the dirty garbage. I still don't know why they don't have separate bins on the trucks. In Asheville, where I last lived, they had one truck which made garbage and recycling pickups once a week. Homes were issued recycle bins and garbage bins. Aluminum, steel, and plastic went in one bin, and paper and cardboard into the other, with garbage going into the garbage bin. The truck would stop, one guy would grab the garbage and dump it in the back, while the other guy would grab the two bins and throw the contents into separate containers on the truck. They were actually faster than the guys here who dump just one can, and sometimes leave garbage in the bottom of my can.

 

[redrocket]

i bet rowy powy recycled that cake.

 

[hnooe]

The recyclables must be clean and paper must be dry in order for it to get recycled. If the clean recyclables are thrown in with the dirty garbage, they will not get recycled. That is where the blue bags come in. They are helpful in presorting garbage from clean recyclables, but yes, when they are all crushed in with the dirty garbage, the recycle percentage of garbage probably decreases, but it is still likely to be much higher than no separating of the clean recyclables from the dirty garbage. I still don't know why they don't have separate bins on the trucks. In Asheville, where I last lived, they had one truck which made garbage and recycling pickups once a week. Homes were issued recycle bins and garbage bins. Aluminum, steel, and plastic went in one bin, and paper and cardboard into the other, with garbage going into the garbage bin. The truck would stop, one guy would grab the garbage and dump it in the back, while the other guy would grab the two bins and throw the contents into separate containers on the truck. They were actually faster than the guys here who dump just one can, and sometimes leave garbage in the bottom of my can.

Joe--You always make too much logical sense--seriously, you should be a County Commissioner--I would work for you..! A little more investment in the Walton Co.Waste Department could save a lot of man hours, and the prison population could then be put to much BETTER use, i.e., working on Hwy. 98 and 30A litter problem!

 

[TreeFrog]

Blue bags are also at Sundog Books.

I'm with SJ. I worry about my recycling getting spilled/wet/dispersed when the garbage truck crushes it. I also have my doubts about the environmental motivation of the average inmate.

So I take my stuff to the trailer behind Publix on 395. I'm there 2 or 3 times a week anyway and it only takes an extra 5 minutes. If you've gone to the trouble to save it separately at the house, it's no big deal. And you get some reasonable assurance it will actually be recycled, making your effort worth your time. Call me obsessive, but there you have it.

 

[swantree]

I would also make the case that the county is more likely to actually show a certain amount of due dilagence because it's a 11 million dollar cash cow for all the recycle product they sell to vendors in that business. it makes sense that we recycle for that reason alone in our county. Thats alot of money to build a park/path/beach/turtlewatch/bridge/whatever!

 

[scooterbug44]

My recycling is just glass, cans, corrugated cardboard, and plastic, so I figure they can handle it.

How do they sort it at larger/more advanced places? Doubt it's convict labor though I love the whole chain gang concept.

 

[Smiling JOe]

How do they sort it at larger/more advanced places? Doubt it's convict labor though I love the whole chain gang concept.

Until you think about prisoners, with nothing but time on their hands, going through all of your credit card statements and applications. You think your vertical shredder stops them from piecing the strips together?

 

[scooterbug44]

They're welcome to rifle my trash - Any company that accepts an application in the state that is normal in my trash will be reeling from the lawsuits and the public flogging. BEST case scenario is not only shredded, but missing part of it, and covered in goopy leftovers and cooking oil!

I was raised by a paranoid mother so my shredding tends to involve a BBQ grill or fireplace ;-).

 

[hnooe]

Blue bags are also at Sundog Books.

I'm with SJ. I worry about my recycling getting spilled/wet/dispersed when the garbage truck crushes it. I also have my doubts about the environmental motivation of the average inmate.

So I take my stuff to the trailer behind Publix on 395. I'm there 2 or 3 times a week anyway and it only takes an extra 5 minutes. If you've gone to the trouble to save it separately at the house, it's no big deal. And you get some reasonable assurance it will actually be recycled, making your effort worth your time. Call me obsessive, but there you have it.

Tree Frog--No. You're not obsessive, your a great, concerned South Walton citizen--I wish there were a lot more people like you!