A new twist in garbage-picking: North Carolina bans plastic bottles from landfills

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  1

  jim_d@...

  10/02/09 | Report as spam

  RE: A new twist in garbage-picking: North Carolina bans plastic bottles from landfills

  If you want people to recycle "stuff", no matter what it is, gov't needs to make it easy and convenient. I will not go out of my way to recycle anything, even...gasp...CFL's, ni-cad batteries, etc. Provide a small recycle container that this stuff can be put in and then pick it up with the rest of the recycle stuff periodically, like once every 3 months.

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  Raid6

  10/02/09 | Report as spam

  The problem is with packaging...

  First my angle.
  
  I am a Conservative with a mind all his own. I believe in limited government, and I don't believe that humans are causing global warming. Maybe that makes me a big dummy in the eyes of most people here but so be it.
  
  Now I strongly believe in conservation of energy and conserving the use of resources. I believe in using techniques and technologies that use less. This is the responsible thing to do because, frankly speaking, humans are the Stewards of the earth.
  
  Animals exist in the capacity they are instinctively programmed to. They don't consider how to improve their own environment, they simply use what is there and exist. They don't think at the level humans do, obviously so they cannot be Stewards of the planet, they are members, participants in the ecology.
  
  Humans manipulate, create, and so on. Therefore we have a responsibility to conserve, to re-use and to find ways to exist in the natural world with an impact that is more beneficial than harmful.
  
  I don't believe in a lot of government to CONTROL and DICTATE our lives.
  
  That being said, if I had to champion one "non conservative" cause it would have to be recycling and conservation. Yes, those two make up one cause.
  
  Plastic bags are fine, I have no issues with them if they are recycled.
  
  But what about the myriad of other items we purchase that are constructed and packaged in such unfriendly manners towards being recycled?
  
  Why do we not employ prisoners serving time for decades to operate this industry? No, instead they get three squares a day, smokes, weights, TV, and rights out the @$$. Put them to work, let them participate in the recycling process and let them benefit our economy and ecology in a measurable and tangible way.
  
  When I see a seemingly simple matter of plastic bags going into a landfill I actually see a symptom of a much larger problem.
  
  It all comes down to packaging and priorities!!!

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  3

  JefferyS_TheTech

  10/02/09 | Report as spam

  RE: A new twist in garbage-picking: North Carolina bans plastic bottles from landfills

  I agree with Jim, if it isn't easy then people won't do it. Forget getting people to separate items, just have one recycle bin and sort it out at the recycling center.
  
  I do recycle the dangerous stuff like nicads, lead acid batteries, oil, etc but haven't found a place to take CFL's.
  
  All garbage pickup companies should have to do this. There's no recycling pickup in my neighborhood.
  
  
  JefferyS

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  4

  tlthompson21829

  10/13/09 | Report as spam

  RE: A new twist in garbage-picking: North Carolina bans plastic bottles fro

  People don't realize the expense towns incur with recycling
  programs. It costs towns money to not only haul the items, but to
  sort them, as well. So when a town has to hire more personnel to
  sort the items, are we going to start complaining that they're
  spending tax payer money to pay for the personnel's salary? Why
  can't we take responsibility for our own trash and sort them
  ourselves... After all, we're the ones who use the items.

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  carol.boeck@...

  10/13/09 | Report as spam

  RE: A new twist in garbage-picking: North Carolina bans plastic bottles from landfills

  Garbage is picked up by the city in my town, and they provide a large bin (as big as the garbage bin) for recycling and pick it up every other week. Works great.

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  andy18699@...

  10/13/09 | Report as spam

  RE: A new twist in garbage-picking: North Carolina bans plastic bottles from landfills

  Instead of Plastic bags, go back to paper bags which are 100% recyclable. Also get rid of all of the plastic covers in which items are sold. Instead of Styrofoam for packaging, use recycled paper, cardboard, to make inserts for inside of boxes. Which can then all be recycled, as most places will not take styrofoam.

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  johnnylingo

  10/14/09 | Report as spam

  RE: A new twist in garbage-picking: North Carolina bans plastic bottles from landfills

  Concerning the "Cost" to pick up and sort recyclables - this should be NO COST to the person providing the "product" to be recycled. The recycled material will be PURCHASED by someone (company) to be used in their New product. So, the cost for collecting, sorting, etc. should be borne by the company that will use the materials in their product to be sold to consumers again.
  If recycling is too expensive, inconvenient, or complicated, then ordinary people won't do it. If you "Paid" the consumer to recycle (offer money for their recyclables), then EVERYONE would recycle happily. Remember getting $0.05/bottle when you gave it back to the store....