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Wash "recyclable" before putting them in the bin
yoshmyster
Member Posts: 21,879 ✭✭✭✭
Lately the radio is spewing out instructions on how you should wash the cans, jars and whatevers then dry them before placing them to be "recycled". Now I'm in California under "drought" condition and they want me to wash and dry before I place them to be recycled? So I'm "supposed" to use my water (which they charge) they must be out of their mind.
Bad enough I have to go to town over to sell off my California Refund Value (CRV) like deposite the governor raided the racket for other uses.
Comments
I recycle but if they want it washed, they can do it themselves. It's ridiculous to wash trash.
We wash or rinse our recyclable stuff, but mostly to keep our street bin from getting too nasty. Paper is no problem, of course, but the last drips from stuff like soda cans can get downright ugly. Then there are the bugs it attracts.
We're in exceptional drought status here, too, but it takes only a few ounces to rinse a can or bottle. Probably less than 5% of a single toilet flush. If you have a lot, you can always tuck them into your dishwasher with your plates and spoons. Then you aren't using any extra water than you'd be using anyway.
Our county in Ga is too cheap to keep the recycle center going. They closed it years ago, but kept all the recycle bins at the dump. So people are still trying to recycle, but the county simply puts the recycle dumpsters into the same trash truck as reg trash, then takes all to the same landfield. 🤬😡
We had a citizen's recycling center that was doing quite well but the bureaucrats saw it as competition for the new landfill and forced it to close. Short-sighted folks couldn't see the difference.😡
I recycle EVERYTHING! I have a heavy duty burn barrel and use old motor oil to get it going real hot. Steel cans turn to iron ore after burning and exposed to the elements for a year or so. Glass turns into a brittle blob with pretty colors and shapes, paper and plastics simply add more heat to burn the other stuff. After 20 years the left over pile is about one scoop in a farm tractor bucket, all other disposables have been returned to mother earth by the rapid oxidation supplied by plasma and heat.
Set them in the tub when you shower, multitasking.
I burn my plastics in my outdoor wood stove. There's a few btu's in a plastic bag. I try to do my part .
If they ever figure out how to actually recycle things when picking up the trash I'll be happy to sort things out and do what little I can to help. Its ridiculous that the companies that make the trash aren't required to do some sort of recycling themselves at this point. I don't know how many empty water bottles there are on the side of the road, CocaCola, plastic grocery sacks blowing through the wind, but if the people creating all of this stuff had just a tiny bit of responsibility to recycle it would help if people could bring the other similar items to their facility to also be taken care of.
"Now I'm in California under "drought" condition and they want me to wash and dry before I place them to be recycled? So I'm "supposed" to use my water (which they charge) they must be out of their mind."
Yep that's what happens when they build cities in a desert.
@yoshmyster if I may risk an impertinent question, why stay in Cali?
There is no greater love than this: He who gives his life for his brother. John 15:13
BIL in LA just puts their garbage at the curb in the evening. A "crew" comes around later & sorts through it, picking out the recyclables they can sell. You wouldn't know they had even been there.
It's amazing how different, different areas of the country are for their recycling, or view of practices. Here in the pot smoking, alphabet gender loving, criminal/drug/homeless enabling, lowest graduation/highest cost per student taxes, highest fuel prices and cost per living area, we have to recycle everything, or pay for it.
I do, however,think that recycling is a good thing since there is no use in throwing away something that can be reused. Moving from Oregon to Montana, where they don't do any type of recycling will be a change for me.
I'm not a global warming believer, but I do believe that it doesn't hurt to do what we can to help out. Just because we don't have any immediate, or future need for the item doesn't mean that we can't put it to a better use in the future.
Take a look at how many items that you currently buy that are made from recycled materials, mostly steel, plastic or paper and think how much cheaper they may be because of the use of recycled materials, rather than the expense of using raw materials.
^^^^THIS^^^^
Recycling does absolutely help this earth. Burning in a burn barrel simply pisses off the Mrs! I see no point in burning, at least not here where the dump(manned area with dumpsters) is only 5-10 miles from ANYWHERE in the county! That horrific smoke from burn barrels makes my wife VERY sick. Maybe you can argue that isn't NOT bad for the earth, but it is very bad on the Mrs' lungs!
I also am not a global warming believer.....at all! Carbon DIOXIDE is plant food!
And a big 2nd to have these companies making and using plastic be held responsible! They make millions off the cheap plastics, what's it hurt to ask them to help with recycle centers!
my oldest son heads up our recycling about a mile from our house the village ( use to be a town ? ) set up a place on the edge of town to take it to dumpsters for plastic cardboard and plastic and they sell general use trash bags I think 2.00 a piece for all the rest .
I know its selfish but when compared to places like China and India to name just two who just go all out with all the things we are forbidden to do a billions of them vs about 300 million of us
but any way every little bit helps I guess ? when you look at the whats going on and then see the TV programs and find out majority of " recycled goods" here in the states still go to the land fill dumped right out of the recycle bins they say no market too much to handle the list is endless
In my county you can haul your trash to a dump site but you must separate the recycling stuff or you can pay a commercial pickup company . They do not have to recycle and it all goes to the same landfill . County quit selling cardboard ,cost more to process than they made ,same with glass . Now it is all dumped and buried .
A lot of recycling is just to make the tree-huggers feel good about themselves. A lot of recycled newsprint is simply dumped instead of hauling it across the country, shipping it to China for them to make boxes to ship stuff to us. In many areas those plastic clam-shell containers like fruit and other things come in are no longer recyclable. The material can be recycled, but it is less expensive and more efficient to simply use new material.
The days of collecting and selling recyclable containers and paper have expired. Selling the recyclables was a way to make money for municipalities and extend the life of land fills. Our local progressive city will be charging for collection of recyclables which will still have to be in separate prescribed containers for pick up. Another progressive idea doomed to failure as people will dump where ever they can to avoid the charge.
I suppose I could put all those jars and cans in the upper deck of the toilet. After a few flushes it'll come out "blue" and clean.
Why I stay in California. I was planning to move to Oregon 15 years ago but they just turned in to Northern North California. Saved me from moving cost. Then gave up on moving to Washington State about 5 years ago since they turned in to Further Northern North California. So I'm back in to looking for the past few years. At this rate Alaska but I hear prices in goods are stupid crazy expensive without the "shortages". Now I'd love to join a clan to snack on whales if they'll have me.
They just burn it here anyway.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
I live in the country and burn my trash. Cans and some plastic I put in a container and when full I’ll drop it off at this recycle center. But as far as cleaning out bottles and cans before dropping off, I don’t think so.
@yoshmyster
Well, Parts of the big are starting to be called "Los Anchorage", and the city appointed a chief equity officer....
So if the state follows suite then the California curse continues to spread.
Bush Alaska is normal still.
If it wasn't for all my friends and family I think I'd look at Florida, especially with Desantis declaring Nov 7th the "memorial to the victims of communism day", and mandating that children learn of the 100 million people communism killed last century.
I am all sorts of in favor of that mindset
There is no greater love than this: He who gives his life for his brother. John 15:13
Alaskanfrog - I'm doing the country a favor by staying in California. You're welcome.
Now as for the "chief equity officer" tribal or title (like Tzar) I only ask because natives still outnumber all other, right? Also as a Californian I don't know what that is. Does that job make sure everyone gets the oil money?
I'd pass on Florida with mosquitos killing folks. They must be huge (from the great show "My Name Is Earl").
The reason for washing plastic and glass intended for recycle is to keep the smell down. Any impurities are removed during the process o recycling.
What gets me is the lower price I get paid when I recycle copper contaminated with solder v "clean copper".........that "contminated dirty copper" is contaminated with Sil-Fos solder which is 15% silver (used in AC apps). So just imagine the amount of tonnage of contaminated copper received by big smelting operations...........they pay less for it and reap tons of pure silver during the process.🙄
Also............all of that plastic "mix" can just be used for lower grade products.
I am not a "greenie"..........but recycling makes a lot of sense to me..............taking a refined product, cleaning it up and processing it back into the stream makes more sense than starting from zero.
The effect of reducing landfill waste and pollution is a side benefit.
mohawk600 - Yeah I get the smell and grody bits but when the glass, steel and aluminum gets heated at the melters it's clean. So I'm wondering why I should waste my water to "clean" the bits? The garbage man doesn't get his fingers dirty or smell the bits because they don't even get out of their rides to collect. They "claw machine" the bins these days.