cans, etc.

If you’ve watched the Simpsons, you’ve probably seen the episode where Sideshow Bob keeps stepping on rakes. The groan of defeat he utters is very similar to what I feel when I return my bottles and cans. Surely there’s another way to do this.

Here’s my proposal:
1) Continue with the current system. It encourages a couple dozen people who might not recycle to recycle. Its also a great social welfare program hidden in a environmental/state revenue scheme.
2) Let people pay for curbside recycling. When they pay for cubside, the waste management company gives them a small barcode that they can put on their grocery card (almost all grocers shove them at you anyway) so when they purchase bottles and cans, they can scan the barcode, and it waives the 5 cent deposit, knowing that you’re paying for curbside already.
3) charge deposits for fast food packaging. Maybe this will encourage the grillers & fryers to pick up their junk, so less of it ends up in my yard. I picked up the packaging today, but if its windy, it’ll be back tomorrow. (insert Sideshow Bob groan)

One thought on “cans, etc.”

  1. Bob’s groan sounds like nee-ah-gra to me, but I picture it spelled “Niagra.”

    Last night, for the third time, a woman who is mute and possibly deaf, knocked loudly on our door. She knows it’s the night before recycling pick-up. She holds up a sign, barely English, that asks for our cans.

    That person used to be a (seemingly) 100 year old Russian lady who wrote thank you notes to us on the back of real estate fliers. Elena is probably dead now, but last time I saw her, she motioned to me that she can’t pick up cans any more because of her knees. Then she drew a heart in the air and pointed at me.

    I like the cans/bottles deposit. I also like your fast food wrapper idea, but can you imagine who gross the return of the grease and/or cheese laden paper might become. Worse than unwashed beer bottles. I think cigarette butts could be taxed too.

    I know you don’t like the deposit, but it really does change the amount of trash around. I’ve lived in many states without the deposit and they’re much trashier.

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