They threw my recycling into the garbage truck

**leighcat** · 02-19-2010, 05:50 AM

So, does this mean I recycle for nothing?

I have a hard time believing they sort through them especially after they crush it all up.

**Greebo** · 02-19-2010, 05:56 AM

Depends on where you live.

Baltimore County, MD just went to a "put it all in one bin" program - they are sorting it at the recycling centers - supposedly anyway.

Mike Roe did a "Dirty Jobs" in CA where he worked at a plant where they did just that - sorted through recycling to separate the materials.

**2ndGenGranola** · 02-19-2010, 07:26 AM

Were you watch and saw all bags go into the same truck? I say that because here they use a garbage truck for recycling, just not the same one.

**imagine** · 02-19-2010, 08:16 AM

Some trucks have a place in them for recyclables that is separate from the rest of the trash. But it still looks like they threw it on the same truck.

**lotsadebt** · 02-19-2010, 08:42 AM

Our city stopped the curbside recycling as a cost saving effort. Now we have to taken them to sites on our own. Al+3 cans go to fire station for burn patients, papers to our school, and others to the city site. Basically we drive around alot of trash!

**Rhayne** · 02-19-2010, 10:38 AM

We live in an apartment and they bring what looks like a trash truck to pick up our recycling. They hook the big recycling can up to the truck and dump it in like trash but they dont use the compactor thing to crush it. We put bottles (plastic and glass) as well as cans in the same recycling can.

**mrsfoamy** · 02-19-2010, 12:33 PM

The rural area where I live is not very recycle friendly. The truck only comes once a week and I had to call and beg for 2 month just to get a bin, and then people steal them

I can take newspapers, magazines and cardboard to a bin at work and I noticed a private school that has large bins near my work. It would probably be easier for me to just start taking stuff there!

**nancycg56** · 02-19-2010, 12:38 PM

We have a big bin where we toss all recyclables and then put it curbside for pick-up every other week. There is a truck just like a garbage truck that picks it up but doesn't compact it and then it goes off to be sorted ~ for which we have to pay the city extra whether we recycle or not.

**leighcat** · 02-19-2010, 05:16 PM

I just got home a little while ago. This morning I watched the garbage men, was finally able to "catch them" and see what it is they do. I am not too happy as they constantly leave my cans in the road on the side, right where cars veer towards the side because it is a rocky dirt road with ditches on the other side. I have to pick them out of the road before I go to work every morning. They have also forgotten to collect my trash twice. I saw them pick up the cans and dump them both in, then throw the bag of recyclables right in with them. I guess they must separate it later.

We have to buy "special" clear blue recyclable bags that ain't cheap so I sure hope they do actually recycle!!