Recycling.......?

Question

Why is it that people dont recycle?

Do you think they are lazy or is it that they are just uneducated about it?

Answer 1

I think it is a combination of things.

First of all, think there are still a number of municipalities that have no recycling programs.  For those that do, I think there is a lot of confusion by people as to what can actually be recycled because it does differ from place to place.  I am fortunate that my township recycles type 1-7 plastics, steal cans, aluminum cans, paperboard (cereal box material), newspapers, and junk mail.  However, the next town over only does type 1 and 2 plastic and newspaper which is typical in this area (south central PA).  If it weren't for a program at which my wife and I volunteer, we'd just throw out corrugated cardboard and office paper.

Another reason is that organizing all of it can be a bit overwhelming.  My wife and I struggled at first but we worked out a system of bins in our garage that we can simply slide out to the curb on trash day or throw in the car when we go to volunteer.  We do help our friends organize their stuff and take what their municipalities do not take to the volunteer program facility (this include all of the recycling from our church which is in a municipality without a recycling program).

In the end, some people are just plain lazy.  Unfortunately, I think this is the biggest reason.  I have heard every excuse in the book

...I don't want to rinse everything and that take a lot of water so how is that any better? (showed them how to rinse a party's worth of beer and soda bottles with six ounces of water by transferring the water from container to container)

...I don't have time to sort it (gave them extra bins next to their current cans in the garage five feet from kitchen trash)

...Can't afford the recycle bins (found out their municipality offer free bins and even picked them up for them on my way through town)

I have watched people throw a soda can in the trash when a clearly marked recycling bin was right next to the trash can.  Some places make recycling mandatory but there is no way to enforce it.  Until people see a real impact in their life (most people are self-centered), they won't do it.

Answer 2

I can't find a place to take all of it.

Answer 3

I think people are a little bit lazy, but when it comes to the environment people think it's a burden. People just need a few ways to make their lives easier and more organized if they want to be successful about going green. Help people get educated and organized.

Answer 4

They have the wrong type of trash can!  You need 4 color coded cans:

1. Grey-general garbage.

2. Blue-bottles, cans, glass, plastic, etc.

3. Brown-cardboard, egg cartons, newspapers, & junk mail.

4. Green-garden clippings, dead things, & inedible mollusks.

If you have these cans, life is fabulous.  You simply leave them out by the curb on Thursday evenings and by 0400, Friday the recycling gnomes & leaf faeries gather up the contents and fly them to Neverland.

Answer 5

well people don't have a reason to not recycle so it's probably just laziness and where I live you only have a fortnightly recycling collection but my family recycle everything:)

ps mine?http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/ind...

thanx :)

Answer 6

i wish i could recycle, i am educated about it and im not lazy its just i cant. i live in an apartment high rise thing and theres just a chute that you throw garbage in.

i think they seperate it, but im not sure. but i recycle everything in school so its all good!