Rethinking recycling
By: John Bispala 07/01/2013
It seems like the first time since the Minneapolis recycling program began that I received a notice along with my latest water bill entitled, “Help prevent recyclables theft.” Many years ago, I stopped placing aluminum cans into the recycle bins. Instead I take them to the scrap metal place and receive payment myself for them.
What stopped me from putting my aluminum cans into bins on recycle day? One afternoon ahead of my collection day, I encountered a scuzzy, red pickup truck stopped here, and my cans were being dumped into his box. I asked the guy if he was from the City of Minneapolis, and he said, “Yes.” The next day when the regular city recycle truck arrived and was loading my plastic, paper, etc. I asked the operator about this previous encounter, and here’s what he told me: “It doesn’t really matter. They all get recycled either way.”
It wasn’t just this one incident. Many a time the alley is blocked by a vehicle half a block or more away. It could be a neighbor legitimately loading or unloading his car or waiting for a family member to enter the vehicle to head for some appointment, like I’m doing. But too often it turns out to be a scavenger digging out the big copper coil from a TV or washer set out for recycle, or snooping in neighbors’ recycle containers.
Why should I hand over my more valuable recyclables to a scavenger instead of the city? Would it not be better to train my offspring to participate seriously in recycling by collecting our own aluminum cans, and we’ll deliver them together to the scrap metal place, allowing my son to pocket the proceeds for his efforts?
John Bispala
Webber-Camden