Years ago, we were the first family to sign up with this company when they came into the neighborhood.  The owners of this company were sooo new that they didn’t have recycling cans with the company name on it yet.  So they brought us a small red storebought rubbermaid can to use for our recycling.   Each week the recycling truck came by and the contents of my can was sorted into different bins on the truck. That little red can inspired us to do more recycling and before long,  not surprisingly, the recycling going out of the house was more than the trash.  Over the years, that first recycling can wore out and we replaced it with a larger can and my son stenciled RECYCLING on the lid and the sides so it would not be confused with the ‘garbage can”. 

Sometime in the last few years, the neighbors who signed up for pickup with the same company began to have bright red and green bins at the curb. Periodically I would call the company to clarify a recycling question and also ask about the can, and they would say, “We know which is your recycling.  Its ok to use what you have.”

Until last week! When I called and told the owner that my recycling had gone into the garbage truck, he apologized.  “I started a new guy this week and he didn’t know. I’ll bring you new recycling tubs next week.”  I guess he didn’t want to have to explain why we had a different can than the rest of the neighborhood. And HERE they are - 2 of them!  The green one is for paper and the red one is for the  plastic, metal, glass and cardboard.  They are shiny and colorful and they don’t fit into the kitchen closet with the old ‘system’ we had developed.   Oh well, time for a change!  I am just glad my recycling will still go where its supposed to go – NOT to the landfill.

Do you have recycling in your town? What can you recycle?

Kristi Cooper