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Look! More Recycling Than Ever

04_17_09_recycling.jpgWe couldn't help but stop and marvel at how, week after week, the recycling bins at our apartment complex have been overflowing.What's better, is that it seems like the huge trash dumpsters have stopped overflowing. What's with this reversal?

 
 

We've lived in this same complex for more than two years now, and have noticed this trend in the last month or so — and no, it's not just because they're coming by less frequently to pick it up (we checked).

We think it's a concrete example that our community is collectively making a difference. If everyone steps up their own recycling efforts, it begins to show.

Have you seen your communities doing the same?

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Look!, recycling & donating

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Comments (5)

same here! (suburb of Seattle)

posted by Lizzykewl on April 17th 2009 at 4:07pm
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Totally... blue bins have been finally rolling out in Chicago. We got ours almost a year ago. We had two garbage cans and one blue can. We had to request that the City switch out one of our garbage cans for a blue can b/c recycling was always overflowing and one garbage can was completely unused. (Recyclables tend to be bulkier too...) Great!

posted by lowem on April 18th 2009 at 5:47am
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I'm not sure if there has been an increase or decrease in my town, but I sadly came across an article from my previous town (Toledo, Ohio), that mentioned an increase in trash pick-up costs... and those who recycle will receive an even higher increase. I was dumb-struck. How is this suppose to increase a person's 'desire' to recycle? Landfills = cheap now, expensive later. Recycling = expensive now, makes a profit later! It is so back-a$$ words, it makes me sick. I could go on, but I'm preaching to the choir ;)

On a lighter note, I have found a recycle drop off down the street from my apartment which is a "catch-all" - allowing me to recycle way more then I have been in the past with ease. It is also run by an elementary school, which keeps the profits. :)

posted by EmDizzle on April 18th 2009 at 8:49am
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In my last apartment complex there were a lot of college students. The city will only give recycling bins to units of four or less and we had 18. We tried but were denied. My neighbor and I were starting to organize to collect it around the complex and take it to the recycling center a couple of miles away but moved away before it really got rolling and I'm pretty sure no one continued. But now in a duplex we have two bins and even though they only get taken out to the curb twice a month or so, that's more often than the trash!

posted by FlyLittleBird! on April 19th 2009 at 10:05am
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Great job! Just an FYI... Your neighbors could fit so much more in those bins if they broke down the cardboard boxes. This also makes life easier for the folks who sort the recycling.

My city's recycling program continues to grow. They now take all numbered plastic rather than just a few kinds and the list of other things they'll take gets longer every day. I also like that while you have to pay for extra trash bins, extra recycling bins and green waste bins are FREE!

posted by LilyC on April 20th 2009 at 1:36am
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