We do a little bit.
Since 1978 we have had a returnable bottle bill in effect statewide. There are quite a few redemption sites around the city. CLYNK is one, that is affiliated with the Hannaford Supermarket chain. They advertise that after you sign up all you do is: Bag it. Tag it. Drop it. Done. It's pretty simple. You can then put your 'returnable credit' towards groceries or as some do donate it to local organizations. I don't go this route. I take my returnables to a private company. It's fast. Cash in my hand. In and out. I'm gone.
Since April 15th of this year, Portland and some surrounding communities have initiated a plastic and paper bag fee of $0.05 per bag they use to package purchased goods. The idea behind it is to 'Bring Your Own Bag' and do your part in helping to reduce the environmental footprint. Polystyrene foam packaging is also a no-no. So, if I'm getting a cup of java on the run, grabbing lunch from a food truck on Temple Street or lugging home a 'doggie bag' from a favorite dining spot with tomorrow's lunch, it's being packaged for me in a more environmentally friendly material. We're not the first state or city to enact these initiatives, but I think it's an easy and helpful thing to do. Although a bit of a pain at the start, it works!. Let's take care of the big blue marble we're riding on.
Besides, I detest drinking coffee out of a styrofoam cup.
Just the feel of it gives me the creeps!
... and it's not even Halloween yet.
Good for you Birdman! My new home provides recycling which is unusual for a multi-housing complex. It's one of the things that sold me on it.
ReplyDeleteYes, we recycle here and have some of the same programs in stores, particularly in encouraging one to bring their own bags.
ReplyDeleteTotally with you on the Styrofoam cup thing Birdman, eeeeeew! It's a bit like nails scratching on a blackboard :)
ReplyDeleteTotally with you on the Styrofoam cup thing Birdman, eeeeeew! It's a bit like nails scratching on a blackboard :)
ReplyDeleteI have been recycling happily for years, but things are getting a bit out of hand here...
ReplyDeleteOur recycling programs are in the kindergarten state. But I'd say if your biggest problem is drinking coffee in a Styrofoam cup, you're not too bad off!
ReplyDeleteWe recycle. Our garage company, working with our city, has started a new tote system. We use to have rectangular totes for recycles and three sizes of can type containers, 32, 64 and 96 gal, that had hinged lids for trash. Now we have both in the hinged lid containers. We opted for the 32 gal. for each and find that since there is only two of us and with the container changes we fill the recycle and only end up with two bags at most in the trash container. One driver with a pickup arm on the front of the truck that picks the container up and dumps it in a bin that when its full is lifted up and over the cab and into the body of the truck. Two trucks just a little bit apart...one for trash and one for recyclables. Pretty neat and cost effective. So far the neighborhood is cleaner on windy days as well.
ReplyDeleteYes we do. Paper, food boxes and cartons, tins, cans, aluminium thingys (the ones you use to deep freeze in), plastic bottles and glass. It isn't enough to my taste though, I'm sure we could recycle all those little plastic yoghurt pots, not to mention plastic bags (which incidentally will be outlawed next year here...) I wish I was in Germany. There's almost nothing that escapes recycling there.
ReplyDeleteWe recycle practically everything here in Toronto. I put out garbage garbage maybe once a month. The city also gives us containers for compostable materials and this is picked up weekly too.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely about recycling. Drinking coffee from a Styrofoam cup is the worst!! Our town gives us a recycle can along with our regular garbage container. It's not a problem to sort between the two. You just get used to it and it's helping the planet!! Great post! cm
ReplyDeleteI do it by just throwing all my recyclable items in my recycle bin, which is a separate container from the regular trash. The recycle bin is green and picked up by a different truck from the one that picks up the trash in the black bin. I feel guilty when I don't recycle!
ReplyDeleteI don't like polystyrene either. I support a tax on plastic bags but not paper ones. Paper will burn or biodegrade and in the meantime it's great for storing paper and cardboard that you plan to recycle. We don't have curbside recycling here so I have to drive to a transfer point. I do it weekly but wonder about the impact of burning gas to do so!
ReplyDeleteWe used to have recyclable plasticware at our cafeteria. The forks would start recycling halfway through your meal.
ReplyDeleteYes, I recycle. I return empty bottles, use recyclable grocery bags, and throw other plastics and aluminums into a curbside Blue Box provided by the town and picked up once a week. (We pay for it in our taxes so it's smart to use it.)
ReplyDeleteWhat a colorful truck! I believe that recycling is now the norm in many communities, as it should be. It doesn't take long to break old bad habits and it's so important!
ReplyDeleteConnecticut has a bottle bill, like Maine, so that part of recycling is easy. West Hartford also has an ambitious recycling program, with blue refuse barrels for homeowners to separate regular trash (green barrels) from recyclables. I do it quite strictly. Florida doesn't have a bottle bill, but Naples has the same blue/green barrel approach. AND, I have my own ceramic Starbucks cup. What do I win?
ReplyDeleteI've been recycling, reusing, and composting for years, and preached it when I was working in environmental ed. We've gotten our throw-aways down to a smallish can collected every other week.
ReplyDeleteAustin has an 'absolutely no plastic bag' rule, they're actually illegal! Every store uses paper bags, some are pretty sturdy, but not the ones at the grocery store. Those rip immediately.
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