Do Americans recycle? Do YOU recycle?

Our county actually pays for the trash service here to collect recycling, so the only extra effort required on our part is to seperate our trash from the recyclibles. I spend less effort recycling paper, considering it's a renewal resource and relatively biodegradeble (I don't hold on to a sheet of paper for an hour to recycle it, I'll hold onto a can, though).

[QUOTE="caiadas25"]

The problem with landfills is this. Imagine someone trowes a aluminium can into a landfill. You'll never see it again. If you recycle it, the aluminium in the can comes back to the market within 6 weeks. Cans are a great example because you can recycle aluminium countless times without is losing any properties. Remember, aluminium, oil, other metals and resources are not infinite.

markop2003

Only pop cans and bottles because i get 10 cents per unit back. They don't actually pay you, you just pay 10 cents per unit more when you buy it then get it back when you bring it back to the store.

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"]Occasionally.... Penn and Teller pointed out a very important point.. That recycling things like paper is not a good thing.. A) The US plants more trees then it cuts down.. There are more trees in the US then there were in the 1920s.. B) Recycling paper has a toxic after product that has to be thrown out.. C) Landfills are safer then ever and they are eco friendly when properly done.. caiadas25

Hell yeah I recycle. I get like $200 a year from just recycling beer cans / soda cans.

It left me wandering: Do americans recycle?

About 10 yrs ago in Portugal, it was rare to find a person that recycled. Mostly because the state didn't provide means to do it. But in recent years the amount of investement, publicity and public encouragement to do so, the percentage of resources that we recycle sky rocketed.

This is the case of many european countries.

So do you recycle? ANSWER!! :P

caiadas25

Of course we do and far longer than the 10 years Portugal's been doing it. Cans, plastic and glass bottles, paper, metal, even the dead grass from lawnmowing and weeds/dead branches from yardwork.

Hell yeah I recycle. I get like $200 a year from just recycling beer cans / soda cans.

MasterBolt360

[QUOTE="GTA_dude"][QUOTE="caiadas25"]over 300 millions Portugal.....state... caiadas25

There's a separate pickup time and facility for the recycleables. Pickup time is once a week. We're a family of five and we barely fill each container halfway.

I'm American and I recycle more than I throw away.

[QUOTE="MasterBolt360"]

Hell yeah I recycle. I get like $200 a year from just recycling beer cans / soda cans.

caiadas25

Here in NY, there's automatic recycling machines for cans, plastic bottles and glass. Each is US $0.05 apiece.

im not American but i recycle.

I think composting is even more important. The idea of someone throwing old food or egg shells or whatever into the trash is very alien to me.

Oh ok automatic machines... I see. Just a little inocent moral question. Would you guys recycle if you didn't get money for it?caiadas25

Technically, I pay for it, by paying my garbage bill and taxes...

Oh ok automatic machines... I see. Just a little inocent moral question. Would you guys recycle if you didn't get money for it?caiadas25

Of course. In Arizona, the common recycling method is with the two containers shown. The occupants of the house don't get paid for recycling. I had no problems with it. The reason we use automatic machines in NY is because each can or plastic container is levied a $0.05 tax at the store. We just wanted out money back.:lol:

[QUOTE="caiadas25"]Oh ok automatic machines... I see. Just a little inocent moral question. Would you guys recycle if you didn't get money for it?jun_aka_pekto

Of course. In Arizona, the common recycling method is with the two containers shown. The occupants of the house don't get paid for recycling. I had no problems with it. The reason we use automatic machines in NY is because each can or plastic container is levied a $0.05 tax at the store. We just wanted out money back.:lol:

Yes, but just bottles and cans.

[QUOTE="jun_aka_pekto"]

[QUOTE="caiadas25"]Oh ok automatic machines... I see. Just a little inocent moral question. Would you guys recycle if you didn't get money for it?GTA_dude

Of course. In Arizona, the common recycling method is with the two containers shown. The occupants of the house don't get paid for recycling. I had no problems with it. The reason we use automatic machines in NY is because each can or plastic container is levied a $0.05 tax at the store. We just wanted out money back.:lol:

Yup. We still have a house there that we're renting out. Arizona would be one of the states I'd consider retiring (quit working for good) to. My family loved it there.

I also have to add that we did volunteer trash pickup along Arizona highways. Pretty tough job especially during summer.

[QUOTE="GTA_dude"][QUOTE="jun_aka_pekto"]

Of course. In Arizona, the common recycling method is with the two containers shown. The occupants of the house don't get paid for recycling. I had no problems with it. The reason we use automatic machines in NY is because each can or plastic container is levied a $0.05 tax at the store. We just wanted out money back.:lol:

jun_aka_pekto

Yup. We still have a house there that we're renting out. Arizona would be one of the states I'd consider retiring (quit working for good) to. My family loved it there.

yes, I recycle.

I just watched a documentary about the consumption and waste of resources in America.

Personally I found it sickening that the US is one of the most developed countries in the world with a population of over 300 millions, and the lack of investment in equipment and education in these matter of recycling.

It left me wandering: Do americans recycle?

About 10 yrs ago in Portugal, it was rare to find a person that recycled. Mostly because the state didn't provide means to do it. But in recent years the amount of investement, publicity and public encouragement to do so, the percentage of resources that we recycle sky rocketed.

This is the case of many european countries.

So do you recycle? ANSWER!! :P

caiadas25

I don't go out of my way to..but i do recycle..

Just aluminium cans.

No i don't recycle.

Yes i recycle. And I take in aluminum cans for money :D

Yes, Americans recycle

This is just an observation, but I have found that the blue recylcing trash cans are always full to the brim (sometimes overflowing), whereas the garbage cans are generally 3/4 full. This is common every single tuesday when the trash is picked up.

I don't willingly.

Just batteries and aluminums.KiIIyou

I recycle everything I can. I even used to take bottles from lunch at my old work home to recycle them.

Yeah, I recycle plastics and stuff like that.

Yes, Americans recycle

This is just an observation, but I have found that the blue recylcing trash cans are always full to the brim (sometimes overflowing), whereas the garbage cans are generally 3/4 full. This is common every single tuesday when the trash is picked up.

mrbojangles25

I recycle, I am Portuguese.Neon-Tiger

Yes. Here garbage is seperated into4 streams:

1. Regular garbage - is picked up curbside only every 2nd week & there is a 4 bag limit

2. Blue Box recycling - hard goods including glass, aluminum, cardboard, any kind of box packaging, paper, newsprint, milk jugs, plastics of all kinds, etc. This is picked up every week and there are no limits on how many boxes you can have. This goes to a sophisticated automated sorting plant that uses laser scanning techniques to sort this stuff into separate streams.

3. Green Bin recycling - organics of pretty much all kinds, food leftovers, egg shells, tea bags, coffee grounds, Fri night's pizza, and yes, dog poop from the backyard. This is also picked up every week with no limits. It goes into a pulper, mashed, add water, etc which turns it into a slurry. The slurry then goes into an anaerobic digester where bacteria grind it down and turn it in to two things. The first is clean compost which is then sold by the City. The second is biomethane which is then cleaned/scrubbed and injected into the natural gas distribution system and used as both heating fuel and turned into CNG and used as clean fuel by the waste management fleet to power their heavy collection trucks.

4. Specialty/Toxic stuff - you take it to a special location, includes batteries, used oils and lubricants, computer and electronics, etc. No charge.