I love my wife and all, but Jesus Hercules Christ...

[nickwm21]

My buddy is a Yamaha Marine tech. He has a brilliant way of dealing with his huge cardboard recycling problem. He hoses them down and then uses a large long handled, weighted dirt tamper to compress it all in the bin. He does the same at home. Never breaks down a single box. I am assuming this is just fine when it gets to the recycler, but I have no idea. When I find 90% of the air space in the bin is 1 or 2 boxes, I do the same- no more breaking down boxes.

I am sure somebody will chime in and let me know if we are just rendering the boxes unrecyclable, but I can't imagine it is an issue.

I need an answer - is this OK? Seems like a brilliant solution.


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[Buster Highmen]

I need an answer - is this OK? Seems like a brilliant solution.

I can't see how anyone would object to a wet box.

[Conundrum]

I can't see how anyone would object to a wet box.

What if it's already been pounded?

[Flounder]

Yes to washing ziploc bags and reusing them. If they are too old/wrecked/gross then they get tossed and replaced.

There is a big environmental benefit from reusing something as many times as possible vs one time use and then hoping it can get recycled.

FYI when the ziplock bags get too wrecked to keep using you can recycle them into Trex. Usually at the grocery store where they recycle plastic bags.

[bennymac]

Your Cotton Tote is Pretty Much the Worst Replacement for a Plastic Bag

-You have to use a cotton tote thousands of times to make up for its environmental impact.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/y...=pocket-newtab

—

Kinda relevant to our discussion and was sent to me by my wife who is constantly thinking about reducing waste / enviro impact in our life.

[AK47bp]

My buddy is a Yamaha Marine tech. He has a brilliant way of dealing with his huge cardboard recycling problem. He hoses them down and then uses a large long handled, weighted dirt tamper to compress it all in the bin. He does the same at home. Never breaks down a single box. I am assuming this is just fine when it gets to the recycler, but I have no idea. When I find 90% of the air space in the bin is 1 or 2 boxes, I do the same- no more breaking down boxes.

I am sure somebody will chime in and let me know if we are just rendering the boxes unrecyclable, but I can't imagine it is an issue.

Since I practically live in a rain forest, fall/winter/spring I put my boxes on my back porch. Come trash day I just step on them into a mushy pile.

Although reading my recycling bin it specifies “dry cardboard only” so I guess I’m an asshole.


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[Elkhound Odin]

Recycle company doesn’t want to haul water. Wet cardboard is much harder to separate from other material than dry cardboard.


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[muted reborn]

I would imagine recycling places throw out anything remotely questionable or a pain to deal with. Wet cardboard? straight to the trash i'd guess. with the volume they deal with one dumpster of wet cardboard is not worth the effort. probably. maybe. I don't know.

I used to recycle all this little baggies that come with shit you buy and have to assemble. Then I read the local recycling place has issues with bags getting caught in their machines. I now throw that shit away. Am i right? Not sure.

What would be nice is clear direction from all recycling companies. Let us help you be better, tell us what to do and not do.

[babybear]

What would be nice is clear direction from all recycling companies. Let us help you be better, tell us what to do and not do.

100% agree. I read a book "Junkyard Planet" a couple yrs ago that was pretty good and it was nice to have an understanding of the dynamics of the landfill and recycling industries- what they recycle, toss

I think on Science Friday awhile ago they had a segment on whether it's better to waste the water, etc cleaning out a peanut butter jar (the worst) or to toss it.
basically the answer was that it depends on your location, but probably toss it

But back on topic. My husband refuses to believe that they don't recycle #5 plastic here so he continues to clean and put in recycling...............................unless I get to it first and toss it bwahahaha

[babybear]

btw I was lmao about all your responses to my post gang
but I almost spit out my beverage at this one

Leave him alone! He’s doing his best!

“fudge”?

i've been hanging around my 2.5 yo niece for the past wk so I temporarily reformed my vocabulary. temporarily

[old goat]

Your Cotton Tote is Pretty Much the Worst Replacement for a Plastic Bag

-You have to use a cotton tote thousands of times to make up for its environmental impact.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/y...=pocket-newtab

—

Kinda relevant to our discussion and was sent to me by my wife who is constantly thinking about reducing waste / enviro impact in our life.

If you don't use reusable totes how will people know you donate to PBS.
Single use plastic bags are often used again--I used them to pick up dog poop, line small trash cans, store food in the refrigerator.
Truckee eliminated green plastic green waste bags in favor of 90 gallon rolling bins, ostensibly in order to prevent the bags from going to the landfill. I have no doubt that the rolling bins won't last nearly long enough to have less impact than the bags, especially since most people have no place to store them out of the snow. For people for whom the rolling bins aren't usable--the alternative offered is driving miles to the dump. What's the impact of that?

[half-fast]

When in doubt, throw it out

[ötzi]

The large jurisdiction I used to live in considered not taking plastic recyclables any more. They use a incinerator/cogeneration deal to cut down on landfill use and make some coin from selling the power. But without plastic in the mix they were having trouble keeping the thing burning hot enough. Plastic burns easy and hot. Not quite sure what they fnally did but they were still taking plastic recyclables when I moved away last year.

-

We've had a pad at [a ski resort in the West] for I think 16 years now. At first they didn't have recycling at all. People kept asking about it and demanding they take recyclables separate from the trash. So they put in recycling cans and bins all over the place. But I saw them dumping the trash from the trash cans and recycling from the recycling buins into the same truck with my own eyes (I was up on the balcony above them, they didn't know anybody was watching).

I knew one of the guys doing it pretty well and asked him about it later and he laughed. Turned out there was no recycling program at all, they just put in the cans and bins to get people off their backs about it.

[AK47bp]

I was working late one night at my office and cleaning crew came in, dumped all trash into same bin. This is in Seattle too. Throwing stuff in the blue can instead the black can makes people feel good though.


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[anotherVTskibum]

Back to the lid discussion, my wife almost got me with the pickles today. I was careful getting the jar out of the fridge and pleasantly surprised it was correctly lidded...so I failed to treat it with appropriate suspicion when clearing the table later. Nope, she did not actually tighten the lid after taking one out.

And about that salt shaker...

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[Skistack]

Up until about 7 years old this was my dream job. True story. First word was "gahbage" while watching the garbage truck. Im not telling my wife for fear her trying to fullfill my 7yr old dreams.

Ha! Me too. I thought since they only picked up garbage once a week meant you only had to work one day a week.

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[AK47bp]

Attachment 373578


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And again.....




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[BC.]

And again.....




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You guys need a bigger bin. Just wheel the big 90 gallon sucker into the kitchen.....or get her one of those Soda Streams so she doesn’t have to drink all that canned Seltzer. Lol.

[old_newguy]

And again.....




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At least two things in there are just trash anyways. (In my jurisdiction)

[ötzi]

It seems like she's raising the stakes. Almost taunting you. Daring you. Be wary.

[AK47bp]

You guys need a bigger bin. Just wheel the big 90 gallon sucker into the kitchen.....or get her one of those Soda Streams so she doesn’t have to drink all that canned Seltzer. Lol.

Soda stream is purchased and wrapped for my daughter to give as Mother’s Day gift. Dropped close to $200 (with extra bottles and flavor packs) on that sumbitch so she better use it.


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[AK47bp]

It seems like she's raising the stakes. Almost taunting you. Daring you. Be wary.

7 years now of this garbage, she must be playing the long game. Diabolical


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[riser4]

The soda stream will be on gear swap before we know it and buddy's gonna be sleeping on the couch. I can't wait to hear what his wife comes up with for a reason.

[ötzi]

7 years now of this garbage, she must be playing the long game. Diabolical

They're cagey. Cunning.

[concretejungle]

Well, you made room by breaking down the other box. Also, I'm pretty sure milk cartons aren't recyclable.