| Author | Message | ||
     jgberkeley Supporter Username: Jgberkeley Post Number: 3421 Registered: 5-2001 |
I wish I had my camera ready, I missed the moment. This morning my dog started barking at something around the house. Since today is trash pick up day I glanced out the window just to be sure that I knew the reason for the barking. I was correct and saw the garbage truck stopped in front of my house and the men dragging bags of trash from all the houses around. Then I noted that a Waste Management pick-up truck with some kind of loader on the back pull into my driveway and backed out so the back of the pick-up was toward the back of the trash truck. I then watched as the men pulled a cover off the back of the pick-up and exposed the contents. I saw that a dump truck device was in the pick-up and was full of recycled plastic from the neighborhood just above ours. (Today is their recycle day.) Then with out any concern, the dump truck bed was raised and all the plastic was dumped into the trash truck, along with my trash. They had to operate the compactor three times to take in all the plastic. Five things about this get my goat. 1. I’ve had trash left behind because glass and plastic was mixed in with the trash. 2. We pay to have plastic and glass recycled. 3. The Township allows this waste of time to continue at and expense to the tax payer. 4. I feel lied too. 5. I believe that we should recycle. (Really Recycle, not just lie to ourselves about it!) Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic. | ||
| growler Citizen Username: Growler Post Number: 296 Registered: 11-2001 |
I've always wondered about whether or not recycling actually happens. Has anyone followed the recycling truck to the recycling center? Or does the recycling truck just go to the dump like the rest of the trash trucks and we all think that we are being good doobies by recycling? Hearing stories like this make me wonder. I however do agree with you on point 5. | ||
| bobk Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 4474 Registered: 5-2001 |
See my post in the soapbox area under "Attention Maplewood and all the ships at sea..." Last Saturday my wife caught them doing essentially the same thing with waste paper. | ||
| Dave Citizen Username: Dave Post Number: 6235 Registered: 4-1998  |
Isn't the collection firm simply under contract to collect it? It's up to them how to deal with it: whether to sell on commodities market or just trash it if not cost-effecive? Beyond that, I understand George's gripe. Putting people through the motions and efforts of recycling seems wrong. | ||
| Soda Citizen Username: Soda Post Number: 1186 Registered: 5-2001  |
In S.O., we're s'posed to be recycling newspaper, high-quality paper, glass, and plastic. We PAY to "lease" separate toters. If it turns out that S.O. Disposal, The Occupational Center, or whoever, is NOT properly recycling all this stuff, then why do we need special recycling days? Why pay for toters? On the other hand, maybe George oughta keep his digital camera handy next time... | ||
| Nohero Citizen Username: Nohero Post Number: 2822 Registered: 10-1999  |
If recycling is an extra service, for which we pay, then it does matter if the contractor is just mixing the load. Shouldn't the contractor be providing reports about material collected, and where it's going? | ||
| Duncan Real Name Username: Duncanrogers Post Number: 1482 Registered: 12-2001  |
I would send a letter stating what you saw to Waste Management and see how they respond. Send a CC to the Township since, ostensibly the recycling is paid for out of the towns budget, and ask for an explanation. Admittedly documentary evidence would be good, but perhaps "the plays the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king" might apply. If they do but blench yadda yadda yadda "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" Wayne Gretzky | ||
| Joan Citizen Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 2391 Registered: 5-2001 |
A while back, there was a discussion in Soapbox (I think) about the desireability of Maplewood continuing to pay to recycle plastic. One of the points made at the time was that the town could not assure us that the plastic being collected was actually being recycled. Now it seems that George and Bob have both witnessed instances in which the recycling is not taking place. George: Perhaps this is a point which should be raised by the CBAC. As an aside, at least your plastic was picked up this week. I just brought mine back in after it was waiting patiently at the curb for two days for the appropriate party to come by and pick it up. | ||
| bobk Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 4479 Registered: 5-2001 |
I remember the cost of recycling plastic was around $35,000 a year paid from taxes, which is a piddling amount. However, if we do away with it wouldn't the trash rates go up because of the additional tipping fees? George, is there a budget line for recycling? My recollection is that there is. | ||
| sac Citizen Username: Sac Post Number: 912 Registered: 5-2001 |
If they are already throwing it in with the garbage, the tipping fees shouldn't change, should they? | ||
| Dave Citizen Username: Dave Post Number: 6238 Registered: 4-1998 |
The tipping fees would be higher because the recyclables would be included in the waste stream. | ||
| sac Citizen Username: Sac Post Number: 913 Registered: 5-2001 |
But earlier in the thread this was being suggested because the recycling folks were throwing the plastic in the garbage anyway. So, my point is, if they are already putting it in with the garbage, then aren't we already paying increased tipping fees now? | ||
| Dave Citizen Username: Dave Post Number: 6239 Registered: 4-1998 |
[deleted... misread Sac's post] | ||
| knak Citizen Username: Knak Post Number: 45 Registered: 5-2002 |
Once last summer when I was at the Maplewood recycling center, I did see a recycling truck dump sorted loads into their respective bins - green & clear glass, metal, etc. They had some kind of dividers built into the truckbed, which impressed me at the time. | ||
| mwsilva Real Name Username: Mwsilva Post Number: 382 Registered: 5-2002 |
Last month I had a large party that generated a lot of glass trash. WM did not pick up the 30 Gallon can on re-cycle day. I called and they said that they would pick up the glass on my next trash day. I was home. On my trash day they took my trash and took my full 30 gallon can of glass and dumped it into the same trash truck. What are we paying (at the Township level) for? I do not get it. I pay more in taxes to recycle, yet it goes into my trash. Tell me how this works, please??? | ||
| blackcat Real Name Username: Blackcat Post Number: 155 Registered: 6-2001 |
Our latest invoice from Waste Management shows a $6.75 increase from the last invoice effective 2/04. Sometimes our collectors get "picky" on what they pick up from our cans. We were told that certain things weren't household trash. I think it was some old towels and similar. Repacked them, since they tore the bag open, and they took them next time. Where we used to live, if it wasn't a holiday, you could put a stove out front and they took it. And the cost of service was not paid out of pocket by the homeowner. Taxes were about the same as here. All recycling was co-mingled (glass and plastics mixed) It just boggles the mind that here we make the effort to seperate every little thing and it ends up, alledgedly, in the regular trash. | ||
| Tom Reingold Citizen Username: Noglider Post Number: 1964 Registered: 1-2003  |
Yeah, I've had some trash rejected as non-household. I picture they guys saying, "Ew, this Reingold trash is icky. Let's get out of here!" Back to the subject, I'm not clear on who's in the wrong for the company not recycling. Is it WM? Or the township? Does this mean we can stop separating? Tom Reingold the prissy-pants There is nothing | ||
| Fruitcake Citizen Username: Fruitcake Post Number: 61 Registered: 9-2003 |
Tom, They're not saying, "Ew, this trash is icky." They're saying, "Hey, maybe if we don't take it, and he's looking out the window, he'll come out and tip us 10 or 20 bucks to take it anyway." | ||
| Tom Reingold Citizen Username: Noglider Post Number: 1965 Registered: 1-2003 |
I know, Fruitcake, I'm just having fun cooking up a scenario. But they have refused stuff that was totally legitimate. I have learned, as others here have, to dress my garbage up to increase the likelihood of pickup. What a silly burden. Tom Reingold the prissy-pants There is nothing | ||
| michael Real Name Username: Michael Post Number: 466 Registered: 1-2002 |
Maplewood Recycling Charade Exposed. 6 and so years ago, a new resident (me) complained about the recycling process in Maplewood being far more rigorous and time consuming than that of any other community known to man-kind! Separate bins for each color glass? Black and white print? … Separate. Color print? … Separate …Magazines? …. Separate Tin?…Separate…Aluminum cans ?…Separate …Plastic ?… (You get the idea) Not only am I P’d O about the environmental hypocrisy but, I want my time back !! |
