Soap Box Day Today

[dandymomma]

Marjean,

Does this face look familiar?

I had a very nice time visiting you guys last summer. You are a very gracious host. I hope everyone is doing well, and I hope I get to see you all again.

[Wilma]

Today is the 2nd Saturday of the month. Right?  Today is recycling day, right?  Maybe not.  I had my recycling ready to be picked up, which out of the kindness of his heart, Bill Rader does when he can.  But he didn't do it yesterday.  So today, daughter loaded it into my van and took it downtown where the trailer is supposed to be on the 2nd and 4th weekends of each month.  It wasn't there.  So, where is it and why hasn't there been any notice that it wouldn't be there?  Why should we save our recycling when we don't have any place to take it?  I hope that some how the word will get back to the people responsible, that I am willing and able to save my recycling and not put it in the trash just to get rid of it, but if I can't get rid of it according to schedule, I am gong to start filling up the landfill with it. 

[Wilma]

I didn't think my tirade about the recycling trailer would do any good, but it did.  Our own Mom70X7 called me and told me that I wasn't the only one that couldn't find the trailer today.  I don't know how many, but her husband, bless his heart, too, opened the county yard where the trailer is kept so that the people that had brought their recycling with them could deposit it.  Since my recycling was still in the van, daughter drove it around the corner and donated it.  Thank you Mom, for calling me and thank your husband for taking the time to accommodate us.

[Mom70x7]

Your welcome. 

Jim is a major recycler - sometimes even more than I am comfortable with    - and I know he was willing to help.

The Lions have started doing the cardboard collection around town, so he's got a key to the area. It worked out well this time.

I passed your thanks on to him, so thank YOU for thanking him.

[Joanna]

Wilma, I took my recycling yesterday and they had a sign on the truck that said they wouldn't be there today ~ I didn't ask, but assumed it was because of the parade and all the fair activities going on today.  How great it is that someone stepped up to open it up in a pinch though!  Just another benefit to living here in Elk County, USA.
I'm just getting into the swing of seriously recycling myself (except for aluminum, which is a habit after all these years.)  I know it's a pain when you miss the day ~ I forget pretty regular and it's hard to find storage space when I do, but we are SO VERY FORTUNATE to have the recycling drop off available to us.  Several places I've lived ~ even larger towns than this ~ either don't have a place to take it, it's a long drive to it, or  you have to pay to use the facilities.  When I'd have just a little bit, it hardly seemed worth the trip to drive 45 miles to drop it off.
BTW, if you ever need me to pick your recycling up for you, I'd be happy to swing by on my way anytime.  Just give me a call or email.  I usually try to go on Fridays.

[Wilma]

Thank you, Joanna, for the offer, but with daughter living up the street now and around most of the time, it will be taken care of.  I might even let Bill off the hook.  When I moved over here it wasn't so easy for me and Bill was kind enough to pick it up.

[Diane Amberg]

  I have a stupid east coast question. What really becomes of your recycled stuff? We have optional recycling here, and most of us take newspapers and such to igloos up the street in a U. of Del. parking lot. But we hear all kinds of stories about it ending up in the big state landfill anyway, because there are no buyers for most of the stuff. "They" are talking about starting mandatory recycling, which we will have to pay extra for. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I know it used to be that the authority that ran the big landfill took everything, all mixed up, and they had (have) big conveyor belts where they sorted and sold what they could. It was very convienent for everyone.They had enough to sell so they could keep their tipping fees very low. Now that cycle is broken and tipping fees have gone way up and I'm not sure we are really being "green" at all.     

[Wilma]

I have wondered, too, about what happens afterwards.  And if recycling is so important why hasn't the government made it easier for the common folk to do it.  There is so much that I still have to throw away, expecially in plastics.  Why not make it illegal to make plastics that can't be recycled or anything else for that matter?

[Joanna]

I'd be interested in learning what happens to it too ~ though I could probably just ask Knut or one of the other guys who volunteer at our drop (if I could find the patience to wait 2 more weeks  ).  I do know that once, when I took a lot of aluminum up, the guys said they used that to buy gasoline for pulling the recycling trailer around. 
We have a friend that runs a volunteer recycling program in Independence, and when he gets his stock-trailer full he hauls it up to Fredonia about once a month or so to a recycling place there.  I'm sure someone on the forum has more info that they could share ~ if they don't or if I find out first, I'll post it.

[Jo McDonald]

Joanna....where is your friend located with his tailer?  I would love to know, so I could take things that I would save to him. 
I have asked where there is a place to take recycle things -- and was told there was no place.  You would think that the State Park and campground would have one, wouldn't you?  I was just dumbfounded that there was none here...Where we always camped in Minnesota there were HUGE containers to put in the cardboard - cans- plastic - glass - and newspapers.  Consquently there was a very small amount of trash that needed taken to the dump each week.
With all of the soft drink - snacks,  coin operated machines on every corner, you would think there would be a recycle container close by to gather the by products from those, wouldn't you?
  Well---guess I will get off my soap box and hop around to see what else I can get on a ramblin' rampage about  ....