Does your trash collection offer a recycling bin?

Question

We have recycling, trash, and green waste. It is illegal in our city to dispose of paint, cell phones, computers, TVs, batteries, and other hazardous materials in the regular trash. Soon, we will have hazardous material pickup at the curb, but until then, we are supposed to take those items to the dump where there's a special section for hazardous items. It's free to dispose of the hazardous waste.

Answer 1

No but I have a compost pile and furnace to burn junk mail!

Answer 2

Yes. Thankfully, we have the same line-up of trash collection here. I hope we soon get the option of having our hazardous waste picked up.

Answer 3

Hi, here in North Aberdeenshire, Scotland, we do.  We have one small black box (open top, with a net) to put our glass/cans/plastic bottles into.  We also had a bag to put our newspapers and magazines into but it was "gone with the wind" about the second time we used it, so we just use a carrier bag now.  These are collected fortnightly, and sorted by workmen at the kerbside.

We have a wheelie bin for general waste which is collected every 2 weeks too.  We also have local recycling facilities 8 miles from here for electrical equipment and stuff.

One problem with the black boxes, once empty they blow onto the road and cause a hazard for drivers!  Those of us who are out at work all day obviously cannnot take the boxes in as soon as they are empty!

Answer 4

Yes as a mater of fact they do.

They will give me recycling bins, I sort it all out so they won't have to, then they can take what I've sorted for them and sell it and for all of this I get to pay them a fee.

Whats wrong with this picture boys and girls?

Answer 5

Nope. It's a shame. I live in a condo community that has one big dumpster where everyone disposes of all sorts of garbage. I make an effort by driving my recyclables about 20 minutes to the DeKalb County (Georgia) Farmer's Market.  

Answer 6

That is a hard question to answer for my city, we don't have a recycle bin, we have what is called a Materials Recovery Facility and a green waste pickup. We are encouraged to put all items into the black garbage can and the MRF is supposed to pull all the recyclable material from the waste stream. I just can't bring myself to put items into the can that are likely to become contaminated or not pulled. Clean paper is more valuable than soiled paper, so I don't put that in. We currently have a 40% diversion rate and the MRF's goal is 60%, I still think that is too low, we are putting 900-1000 tons into the landfill each day. I think it is better and more effective to not put recycling into the waste stream to begin with.

We do have a great hazardous waste pick up program that will come to your house to pick up batteries, flourescent buls, and other hazardous items. We also have a great ewaste drop off system and an ewaste recycler in the city.