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The Big Blue Trashcan

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Wow, am I wasteful!  I recently ordered and started using the blue recycling can offered by our waste collection company.  The amount of stuff my family and I have been generating that qualify to be recycled is almost scary, and I have a new thing to be worried about.  "Don't put that in the trash--it's recycleable!"  Try saying that word, recycleable, five times fast!  Now I actually check for the number inside the recycle symbol that's embossed on the bottom of plastic containers.  That is still a little perplexing to me.  It has the recycle symbol on it, but I can't seem to find a facility that accepts that particular number.  Hmmmm, can we say "Conspiracy theory." 

Initially, I was resentful of the fact that I had to pay in order to use this service.  After several months of separating the different materials in tubs in the garage and then having to schlep them to the nearest drop-off, I realized that it is a small price to pay.  It is convenient for me to drop everything into the big blue can, and have it disappear every two weeks. 

Our blue can is picked up only every other Tuesday, so I have tried to be certain to set it out for collection on the designated day.  Unfortunately for me, one week I got confused and thought the collection was to take place the following week, only to find out that I was going to have to wait another two weeks before the blue can would be emptied!  That additional two weeks was such an eye opener for us.  The can was packed so full, my husband felt he just had to jump on its contents to smush it down so we could pack more stuff into it.  I think he just really wanted to jump in the big blue trashcan, and I'm not really sure what that even means.

I know it's not for everyone, like try to convince my parents of the need...Mom can't get past the fact that she would have to pay for the honor of renting the big blue can!  Dad would rather schlep the items himself.  Maybe it's just me being lazy, but I do feel better about not dumping everything into the brown trash can and having it head to the landfill, and I'm hoping it makes a difference.