Recycling - why is it so hard?

At home I am referred to as the "recycle police". If someone (that being my husband, daughter or cat) puts something in the trash that's recyclable, they'll hear about it from me. They do try.

What gets me is the people who don't even try!

For example at work. We have several recycle bins on our office floor, for plastic and glass cans and bottles, and it astounds me that people still just pitch them in their regular office/cubicle trash bins. Similarly, each office/cubicle has a cardboard bin for paper. I can't believe how often I see regular paper or newspaper (stuff that's not even debatable, ie. is it plastic coated?)in the regular trash bin. Hello? Have you heard? Recycling is good. Why do you not care? It makes me wonder if they know something I don't. I have heard at times that the recycling facilities are so overwhelmed that they can't keep up. I have no idea if that is true. But the more there is the more ideas industry will come up with, like the countertops made of paper (with hardeners). I saw this on Good Morning America, but I can't find the link.

Then there's the Metro (the DC subway). Some people apparently intentionally leave their papers on the train thinking that they save paper by "passing it along", but I have my doubts. A certain number of papers are printed already. If someone picks up your used paper, they most likely weren't going to buy one or pick up the free Express anyway. But if they are certain they'll find one each morning well, hmmmm, maybe that does work. I personally would not rely on finding a paper in the car I get on.

Then there are the really egregious people. At Metro Center, the biggest Metro stop, if I'm done with my paper I often drop it in the NEWSPAPER recycle bin on the platform. This is a big bin, and apparently so many people drop their papers in during rush hour that often there is a Metro employeee standing there with an even bigger open bin to collect all of the papers. I thank them. But I am SHOCKED at the number of people that just bypass the big bin, AND the recycle bin, and JUST toss their paper in the TRASH. I DON'T GET IT.

Believe me I'm no earthy crunchy or bark chewer type person. I wear vintage fur (sometimes), and leather, but I somehow have been sucked into this recycling thing. How are others so nonchalant about it? How can one care so little?

Don't we want to help our beautiful world:



if we can at all?

Ieva