Recycling laws

As I was taking bags of garbage out to the end of my driveway this morning, I was thankful that I don't live in an area with strict recycling laws. I throw out whatever I choose, which for me, is everything except recyclable bottles and toxic materials. In the winter I tend to throw out less because I burn more, such as newspapers to start my fire, etc.

Nearby Nova Scotia though- they are strict imo. Even in their McDonalds, there are separate refuse bins for food items, plastics, and papers, and recyclable bottles.

What are the recycling laws like where you live? And do you agree and comply?

I'm in the UK and our recycling conventions are certainly getting better for domestic users.  I have several different bins.... one for compostable materials, food scraps and carboard, another for plastic bottles, cans and glass, another for newspapers and the last one is for everything else  - landfill, basically.  I try to keep this to a minimum.

On my own volition I no longer take plastic bags in supermarkets but turn up with my own shopping bags, I try not to buy over-packaged goods and I take other items like used batteries and metal goods (that aren't in the doorstep collection scheme yet) to the central recycling centre.   Public litter bins aren't segregated here yet but they are in continental Europe.

I'm really happy to comply because I think wasting resources is immoral, if we can re-use we should and I don't want the UK to turn into one massive landfill site. 

Here we are able to recycle paper, glass and most plastics.  No styrofoam yet.

I recycle and compost as much as I can, and on garbage day my garbage can is usually about 1/3 full.  My neighbours, who don't recycle, usually have stuff falling out, or crows getting into it.  I also try to avoid plastic grocery bags, though I do use them for garbage bags so I will get some if I'm running low.  I feel guilty if I don't recycle.

Edit:  I'm in rural B.C., near Alberta.

Households here have separate bins for garden waste and the basic recyclable items like aluminum, glass, cardboard, paper, plastic.  But I live in a condo and we have super bins where everything just gets thrown in. 

I do my part by not buying things in plastic bottles as often as possible and also buying from bins rather than heavily packaged items.  Unfortunately now that the economy has slowed down, there's not much money in it for the recycling companies :/

One thing I do hate is that here in California we've got to pay 5 of 10 cents when we buy something in a container that has CRV -- California Redemption Value.  To reclaim this money we have to put the container into a self service machine.  There are way too few of these self service machines around to accommodate the people who want their money back.  Plus we have to store these empty containers, take them in the car to the recycle machine, wait in a big queue, and in general spend too much time and energy in this process.

That's why this year I decided if it has CRV I'm not buying it.  It's working out much better this way.  You may think you're doing a good thing recycling but it's best to avoid those types of containers in the first place.  The bottled water craze is absolutely out - of - control here :/

Where I live, recycling is not mandatory, but we do have a bin that we can put out our recyclable plastics, cardboard, and paper.  It is easy to just toss stuff in the bin, then set it out with our trash every week.

We are allowed 2 bags of garbage, no more than 40# each.  But the cost for additional bags is not much, you just have to plan ahead and pick it up at the store.

My family generates a lot of trash that is not recyclable.  Diapers, food soaked cardboard (like pizza boxes), etc...  So we almost always have two bags, but maybe not the 40# each.

My hometown in the US doesn't have mandatory recycling and my sister and I's constantly recycling annoyed my parents. They always recycled newspapers and cans but we recycled plastic, etc too and our recycling bin was too small (and the city only gives one small one) so it was annoying for the parents.

Here in Korea there is mandatory recycling. If you're caught not doing it, you're fined. There are red bins outside every apartment building. For these you need special bags and you put your food waste in it. It's collected every night and is composted. There are other bags you have to buy for non-recyclable trash (expensive). There are large white reusable bags for your recyclables, too. It's nice...

I live in southern Ontario. We have a 2 free bag rule for garbage each week, after that we have to pay 1$ for tags on each extra bag we use.

We usually fill up one full bag in 2 weeks time, because our community has a really good recycling program. We have green bins that we can put food and animal litter waste in, they come and take it away for us :D and they pretty much accept anything for recycling as long as it's not soiled.

We don't have to sort our recycling either, they do that at the plant. Every other week it switches from cardboard, paper, wood and hard plastic then the next week to tin, metal, styrofoam and plastic bags. Once a month they take our hazardous waste away.

Having lived in areas where they charge up to 3 dollars per bag from the get-go, and not having any greenbin programs, and having to seperate every individual type of recyling, this place is like heaven!

Original Post by healthystriver:

 Recycling is like another full-time job and I already have one of those.

You need a simpler system or a new definition of "full time job"

We just moved from the SF Bay Area where we were able to chuck all our recyclables (paper, glass, cans, certain plastics) into a big bin and it would be picked up every week.  Easy as pie.  Now we are out in the country where we have to really think about what we buy, what kind of container it's in and how we're going to get it to someone who will recycle it.  There isn't even a facility within 40 miles of us.  It's made us a lot more mindful because we're not fond of just throwing a bunch more crap in the landfill.

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Original Post by healthystriver:

 Recycling is like another full-time job and I already have one of those.

You need a simpler system or a new definition of "full time job"

 haha, seconded.  :)

i'm not sure what the laws are here (vancouver, bc) to be honest.  i have a big reusable bag next to my garbage where i put all paper/cardboard, aluminum cans, plastic bottles, and glass bottles.  once the bag gets full, i bring stuff down to the sorting bins in the alley.  not much more difficult than bringing out the garbage. 

i also use reusable bags for my groceries (and even carry one in my purse just incase).  the only time i get plastic grocery bags is when i need new garbage bags...

Original Post by healthystriver:

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Original Post by healthystriver:

 Recycling is like another full-time job and I already have one of those.

You need a simpler system or a new definition of "full time job"

 Alright.  Its a royal pain the in the ass and I have a trash can ; )

 see?  now at least we're being honest...  :P

Original Post by starlitocean:

Original Post by healthystriver:

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Original Post by healthystriver:

 Recycling is like another full-time job and I already have one of those.

You need a simpler system or a new definition of "full time job"

 Alright.  Its a royal pain the in the ass and I have a trash can ; )

 see?  now at least we're being honest...  :P

 I don't think you are alone.  Many people WANT to do more, but the recycling solutions aren't always presented to them in an easy way.  I would love to see my city offer to hand out recycling bins for paper, plastic, aluminum, etc.  and then pick them up once a week. But they don't.  So anyone wishing to recycle has to go buy their own bins and take them to the recycling center themselves.

I'm glad to hear some cities are already doing what I wish mine would.

One of my grandson's jobs around the house is to do the recycling.  My bins were old and I refuse to buy new ones, so I bring home cardboard boxes from work and fill them up.

Right now the city pick all plastic containers, papers and cardboard.
Batteries, computers, oil and paints and other chemicals can be dropped off at the depot. 

There is also a free store at the depot where you can pick out other peoples recycling.  Some people bring in paint can that were never used.

We compost all the food stuff that is compostible for the garden.

Recycling at work on the otherhand is a sham.  We have recycling bins in the store, but most customers put so much garbage in them that they just go straight into the garbage.  We only have two bins for cardboard and so most of our cardboard also goes into the garbage.  The amount of garbage that we go through at work is disgusting.

I live in Washington. We don't have any laws about recycling. We recycle at my work and at home. We have a GIANT recycle bin, and our garbage can is tiny, about half the size (it's just me, my fiance, and our little dog) I want to get a little composter :] I just need to get around to it!

I think recycling should be required everywhere. It's not a hassle. Have two bins, one for garbage, one for recycling. All you have to do is put it on the right bin, how is that too much trouble?

Where I live in the US recycling is voluntary not mandatory but we do have curbside pick-up for recyclables.  I recycle everything I can; most people here do.

peaches - i agree with you there.  i'm lucky, living in the downtown core of a major city.  there are bins in the alley behind my apartment, next to the garbage cans.  if i had to take my own recycling into a centre, i can't guarantee i would...as i walk everywhere and don't own a car.

ps - YAY YOU'RE HAVING A BABY!  :P

Original Post by hayleymajayley:

I think recycling should be required everywhere. It's not a hassle. Have two bins, one for garbage, one for recycling. All you have to do is put it on the right bin, how is that too much trouble?

If only it were so easy though. The garbage one, easy, but the recycling one, what kind of recycling goes in? Paper? Plastics? Refundables? Cans? Compost? Is there a point to doing one if you aren't going to do them all?

Not to mention that the same government that comes up with the recycling ideas and plants is the same one that sanctions more harm to the environment in other ways.

We don't have recycling law in Edmonton but I would welcome one!  It's too bad it takes a law to smarten my ownself up....but sometimes I get lazy even though I agree wholeheartedly with recycling!  Next spring/summer I would like to try composting - I also buy the re-usable shopping bags.  I could do so much more though!! 

Original Post by qmwillcand:

Original Post by hayleymajayley:

I think recycling should be required everywhere. It's not a hassle. Have two bins, one for garbage, one for recycling. All you have to do is put it on the right bin, how is that too much trouble?

If only it were so easy though. The garbage one, easy, but the recycling one, what kind of recycling goes in? Paper? Plastics? Refundables? Cans? Compost? Is there a point to doing one if you aren't going to do them all?

Not to mention that the same government that comes up with the recycling ideas and plants is the same one that sanctions more harm to the environment in other ways.

 It depends on your local recycling facility I suppose. When I moved into a house and signed up for my trash/recycling collection they gave me a neat little chart showing exactly what I could and could not recycle. In our case, paper, plastic, cans, cardboard. You can opt to have a kitchen scraps bin also.

Yes, there IS a point to doing one if you aren't going to do them all. Even if you only recycle paper or only recycle cardboard you are keeping that out of landfills.

At least the government came up with recycling plants. They're making some sort of effort to help the environment, unlike you, apparently.