Would you support compulsory recycling or leave it voluntary?
By Jewels
@Tetchie (2932)
Australia
April 19, 2008 10:52am CST
If recycling was compulsory then the taxpayer would need to be provided with ways to recycle more easily. Do you have recycling pick up in your county or suburb? If it was compulsory then that would mean by-laws would need to be enforced, usually the bringing in of such a law allows time for residents to make the change and for it to become a normal part of their day. Eventually it is so normal you do it without question, and question those who do not recycle!
What are your views on recycling to help our environment?
3 people like this
6 responses
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
20 Apr 08
They have talked here about making it compulsory but with how they want to do it I wouldn't support it. We would have to buy special bags to put them in and everything has to be washed out and cleaned first. Now that might sound like that's not a big deal but when you wash things like coke cans out you then get bugs. The water mixes with the sugar and draws palmetto bugs. When they aren't rinsed out the bugs could care less but you rinse and you get them. For those who don't know palmetto bugs are a two to thee inch long cockroach that flies. They are nasty. So you have that problem plus the added cost of buying the special bags. They won't supply them and the ones they want us to use aren't cheap and you can't buy just anywhere but from the county only. They also want it all separated by glass, plastic and aluminum. So a bag for each, even if it's only two items.
I have seen it done in other areas where they supply a container that they then pick up. All recycled items go in there together. That type I wouldn't have a problem with.
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
21 Apr 08
Well here it's done county by county, it's not determined by the state. Also the garbage pick up is done by private companies not by state or county employees. We have to contract to have it picked up with that company. It's very strange. Right now it costs too much to do the recycling especially since they do want everything cleaned out. Not many do the recycling where they put it out in the special bags here. Some might recycle the soda pop cans separate and turn those in at private companies but they don't pay a lot for it anymore. I agree though they need to make it easy and cost effective for people to want to do it. If it costs more to recycle they aren't going to want to do it not with the rising costs of everything.
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
21 Apr 08
I forgot to say that the palmetto bugs like sugar water. Ever see the movie MIB? How the bug wanted sugar water, that's how these things are. You could leave water out, no problem or leave sugar out but put the two together and they come in droves.
@Tetchie (2932)
• Australia
21 Apr 08
So if you're drinking coke then you are a target! Just like the European wasp in Oz.
To the recycling, so many different systems in use. See we pay rates or taxes and part of the rates we pay are for garbage collection so we have it over our local council - you call county - in that we can demand that our taxes be used to improve recycling facilities. Though we didn't have to demand facilities for recycling, they happened because the local council were having difficulties finding landfill, ie properties that the council owned that were appropriate. So alternatives had to be found.
There was a Federal incentive that was called 'Do The Right Thing' which made citizens aware and encouraged people to change habits on rubbish. This was a long time ago now and was very successful. Maybe your county will find a way to make it happen.
1 person likes this
@Fishmomma (11377)
• United States
19 Apr 08
I support recycling and have a dumpster just for recycling. The end of April we will be getting an additional dumpster, so we will be able to recycle even more items. I care about the environment and want to see the dumps get less trash.
@Fishmomma (11377)
• United States
20 Apr 08
I live in California and its in the United States.
2 people like this
@Tetchie (2932)
• Australia
20 Apr 08
Thanks, I'm in Texas at the moment. I asked so as to compare the UK with USA and I come from Australia. So I wonder what processes are in place in different countries. In the USA it seems to vary a little from state to state as to what is available. In smaller countries like Ireland and England there are landfill problems - not enough land to fill up with garbage so their processes are increasing toward recycling programs. Some areas are better than others.
1 person likes this
@oscarbartoni (2581)
• United States
20 Apr 08
When my girlfriend and I go shopping we look for items that have the least amount of waste in packaging. We have our cloth bags to take our purchases home (so that we do not get cluttered with plastic bags)As a gardener we put out all of the organic scraps (the animals parts go to the wild life). We have to pay a buck a bag for trash so we try to sort out the recyclable materials and have then go to the places where they can be recycled and not into the landfills. Yes we try to do our bit to help our planet.
1 person likes this
@barehugs (8973)
• Canada
20 Apr 08
There is no need of compulsory recycling, and our municipality here in Ontario Canada is proof of that. We have been recycling for over 10 years and everyone Loves it. Trucks pick up the recycling from Blue plastic tubs each Thursday and take it to the Recycling center where it is sorted and packed. The recycled articles include Glass, cardboard,newsprint,plastic bottles,small electrical appliances,plastic bags, and other items also. We compost all our kitchen waste, and have very little Garbage to go to the Landfill.Our situation proves that people want to do the right thing, and if its presented in the right way will do so on their own!
2 people like this
@Tetchie (2932)
• Australia
20 Apr 08
Thanks barehugs. People want to do the right thing and will do the right thing when it's made easy and can fit in with your lifestyle. Like you said "presented in the right way." It takes a little education in the beginning until people get used to the process and then we all win.
1 person likes this
@rombi001 (941)
•
19 Apr 08
Well they haven't made it very easy to recycle, you have to walk a long way ubtil you find the glass recycling container... But if you had them all in your house and someone would collect them then I don't see why not everyone should do it...
The thing I find quite difficult is which items are recyclable and which are not...
I think the public is not well informed about the process of recylcing
2 people like this
@Tetchie (2932)
• Australia
19 Apr 08
Sounds like your local council doesn't provide enough recycling bins. It's a bit of a vicious circle too, that residents have to demand the facilities, then council acts which means providing the facility and educating the public how to use it. They shouldn't complain about costs because land fill and rubbish removal is a huge financial burden. Hope things improve over there. Your PM sounds like a reasonable environmentally friendly man - if his C-Span speech at the JFK library was anything to go on - amazing. Thanks for your input.
1 person likes this
