Changing times

A lot has to do with where one lives, and the rules for recycling that one has to observe. For example, we just got an updated guidance for recycling that rules out things like take-out containers, even if they have recycle marks and are not polystyrene and are the same material as the bottles and jars that are allowed. It has to do with shape and the automated sorting equipment used.

The plastic "recycle" marks on the bottom of plastic containers are a big scam by the plastic producers.  Most of the plastic they produce is not recyclable.  They put the little marks on it to simply identify the type of plastic and make us think it means it is recyclable when it isn't.  

Moving to rural SW VA from Santa Cruz CA was an eye opener for me with regard to variation in recycling by jurisdiction.

Best to worst. In SC we had 3 curbside bins, recycling, trash, and green waste. There is now a 4th, compostable food waste, just starting this year as required by CA law. The trash bins are only 20 gallons to incentive you to recycle. That's less than 2 kitchen garbage bags a week for a family.

In comparison, here in SW VA everything but clean cardboard, steel and aluminum cans, and HDPE containers gets trashed. And it's not curbside, you have to take your materials to the collection centers. So most people around here don't bother with recycling, many just burn whatever they can to reduce the volume they need to take in, if they dont just bury it on their own property. Worst of all worlds.

Here is a good video from SC City explaining what is recyclable there and what is not and why. This is likely more than what is recycled pretty much anywhere else. For example, the stretchy plastic bags are LDPE (type 4). They go in the trash most places.

Re burning non recyclable trash. This is not good, even paper. If you can't recycle it it's better to sequester the stuff in the landfill than it is to dump it in the atmosphere.

The trouble is that unless you live in a polluted city it looks like the atmosphere is an infinite sink for pollutants while landfills are local eyesores. If we can't see it it's not a problem, right? But atmospheric pollution is a more critical problem than landfills are. We need to get past the idea that we can just dump stuff in the air and forget about it. Yet another area where humans aren't well equipped to make the right choices.





Recycling

  I retired from Walmart six weeks ago and I have seen the amount of waste they produce but they have a goal to produce zero waste by 2025. If they achieve that time will tell but they are one of the few stores that collect used plastic upon entering the store which they make plastic bales to be sold. We collect all our clean flexible plastic at home which adds up to a lot and discard and drop off at Walmart in the containers they have. Walmart is using or planning on large trucks that are electric for transporting their merchandise to stores so times are changing for the good but it will take time. I think people need not to buy so much stuff and live a simpler life and try not to generate so much waste live with what you have. I am guilty of this but opening my eyes to seeing all the stuff I have bought that I can live without. But I think manufacturers are realizing this and are making changes. Fertilizers and pesticides can be limited where we lived in south Florida they have made restrictions on their use especially around water ways where they run off into them when it rains and cause environmental harm. These are changing times and our enjoying nature and future generations to enjoy the wonderful things on this earth we all need to be responsible.