Recycling is annoying.
I realize this isn't the most popular opinion among low-waste/zero-waste/refill shop owners. But the reality is, recycling IS annoying. Compared to chucking stuff into a trash can without having to think about it, recycling is effort. Beyond that, you can't turn on the news without being told that recycling might not even be worth it. So what gives? We WANT to recycle what we can and we WANT to do the right thing... so what do they mean it's not being recycled or not.... worth it?
Now you all know that we aren't the preachy types. We aren't here to guilt you into or out of anything. But we do believe in providing information so you can make your own decisions! I tend to find NPR a bit preachy from time to time however this little video is pretty enlightening about the current state of recycling:
Okay so now that you're a little dejected and wondering "what's the point?" lets talk about what you CAN do.
Don't give up on curbside recycling
Even though there currently isn't a great system for dealing with recycling, I'd like to believe that baling up potentially recyclable material in the hopes that it will eventually get reprocessed and resold on the commodities market is better than it going directly into a landfill without any potential. As long as recycling is still offered/available, we'll keep trying.
Here in Parker, all curbside recycling goes in one bin.
Waste Management Recycling Guide:
- Glass
- Aluminum & Steel
- #1-7 Plastics
- Paper
- Cardboard
- No food waste or organic material
- No plastic bags or cling wrap
- No Styrofoam
- Do NOT put any items in bags
- Aluminum & Steel
- #1-7 Plastics
- Paper
- Cardboard
- No glass
- No food waste or organic material
- No plastic bags or cling wrap
- No Styrofoam
- Do NOT put any items in bags
Confused about the chasing arrows and numbers? Here's another little video that talks about what they mean simply:
Consume Thoughtfully
I'm sure I buy as much stuff as the next person. It's hard to make conscientious purchases when manufacturers simply don't package things in a conscientious way! Sure some things can be purchased with minimal packaging but some things are packaged in the most ridiculous ways. Think of the last bag of chips you purchased! 1/3 chips... 2/3 air.... all wrapped in plastic.
If we look at this problem as a "front end"