It's finally happening! Pocatello is getting a curbside recycling program! And there are already over 2000 people pre-registered for it (the program doesn't start til Spring)! Here's the crazy thing, though: I haven't registered for it yet, and I don't know if I'm going to. Don't get me wrong; I'm not against recycling--I'm very much in favor of it. The thing is, I already have a service come pick up my recyclables for free, and the city wants to charge five dollars. Five dollars isn't much. But it's more than free. Also, the company that picks up my recyclables is a residential home for adults with special needs. They go around the city picking up recyclables from anyone who has signed up for their free program, then the residents of the home sort the stuff and take it to the local recycling center and get cash for it (actually, I don't know how much sorting they even have to do, because I'm supposed to sort everything before they come pick it up from my house).
So even though I am ecstatic that Pocatello has realized the importance of recycling,* I'm probably not going to participate until I am no longer able to have my recycling picked up for free and benefit someone else at the same time.
*I feel like in these big, spacious, sparsely populated Western states there still exists a sort of attitude of "We'll never run out of resources, and there will always be enough space for landfills, and if not we'll just burn our trash. The skies are still blue, the grass is still green, Earth Day some other day." This is the vibe I get sometimes.
4 comments:
Yeah for recycling! And good for you. Every time I drop my plastic into my green bucket I feel like a better person.
Hey, Heather, would you do everyone in the Pocatello area and the disabled people who gain from this labor a big favor by sending this message in letter form to the editor of your local newspaper(s)? I bet some people are not even aware of the disabled people's business, and I bet a lot of people would whole-heartedly agree with you! Go, Heather!
I agree with your mom, why would 2000 people be on the waiting list for the city business, when they could already be getting it for free.
That's awesome that Pocatello is doing that. California has already had it's start as it is the "go Green" state. Anyway, the funny thing is, we still get regular dumpster divers looking for what might not make it to the green dumpsters. Funny huh, they make their living off of it. I say kudos to them.
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