Small recycling dilemma...

[Left Is Write]

The city where I live requires that recyclables be separated or they won't pick them up. We are required to separate the items into brown paper grocery bags.

I had a pretty good stock of the bags, but they are all gone now. I don't ask for the bags anymore, because I am using re-usable bags to cut down on the need to use resources to make bags.

There is a recycling center some miles away where I could bring my recyclables, eliminating the need for the brown bags, but using the fuel and other resources to get there and back seems counterproductive.

I know I can just ask for some more brown bags at the grocery store, but it bugs me that the city compels me to do so if I want them to pick up the recyclables.

[taterguy]

1. Can you just use a rubber indoor trashcan?

We recycle more than will fit in our official bins so we just put one of those at the curb.

No one's ever complained

[Left Is Write]

2. No, they are really strict about what they will and will not pick up.

[hippywife]

3. We use brown paper bags

for garbage so we don't add to the plastic already in the landfill so I take my canvas bags to the store only every other time.

[Gormy Cuss]

4. In the short term, ask your neighbors if they have extra paper bags.

In my experience there's usually someone around who hoards them for no particular reason.

For the longer term, present the problem to the appropriate city officials by writing letters. Send a copy to your local news rag too. It may be time for them to consider some other reusable containers of the same size as acceptable, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

The funny thing about it from here is that we're discouraged from putting our recyclables in bags, but we use standard bins.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. My dear Left Is Write...

This is what I do: I take canvas bags to the store normally. But when my supply of paper bags gets low, I leave the canvas ones home. And I also have the store pack anything that won't fit in the canvas ones, in paper bags.

It works well; try it!

I loathe plastic bags.

[hippywife]

6. You and me both, Peg.

I get so irritated when I get home and find they've wrapped something in a plastic bag and stuffed it down in my other bag.

:hi:

[Oeditpus Rex]

7. This sounds like an opportunity

to go to a city council meeting and point out the illogic in the system.