So my town finally started curbside recycling. Prior to this I was loading up the CRV every few weeks and dropping the stuff off at the town's facility. Ours is voluntary in 95 gallon containers. Cost is $5 per month and you have to attend an orientation and training session. They are not accepting glass, plastics 3 and up, and a few other things.

We have to pay for garbage but recycling is free.

Other: County-run curbside with a mandatory fee

Our fee is $5 per month. I was a little surprised at the fee, but if it is necessary to kick start the program, I don't mind. So far only a couple hundred families have signed up. I am guessing they want a slow ramp up.

Other: County-run curbside with a mandatory fee

 

 

I added that to the city and moved your vote.

Except that ours isn't really voluntary. I mean, whether or not you actually recycle is voluntary, but the fee is collected whether you do or not.

Both recycling centers and a recently installed curbside program in this city, but I can't participate in the curbside program because I'm not a homeowner.

We have to pay for garbage but recycling is free.

 

This. It is included with our sanitary fees.

We have a separate can/day for recycling that's included in the fees for garbage pickup. Everyone in the neighborhood (as far as I can tell) participates. They take just about everything, but not plastic store bags. I drop those off at the grocery store, and they recycle them. Cardboard and paper go to the church, and they get money for recycling it. I take the cans and any other metal to a place that pays for metal recycling. Kind of a pain, but I feel guilty just throwing everything into the trash barrel.

This. It is included with our sanitary fees.

 

We have to buy garbage stickers at something like $3.50 a piece for garbage. It's a giant pain in the ass having to go to the grocery story at 10PM because you realize you're out of stickers.

 

On the other hand, since you have to pay $3.50 a can for garbage but can put out unlimited recycling cans for free, it really does encourage people to recycle. Everyone has at least one recycling bin, some people have two or three alongside their one garbage can.

We have to buy garbage stickers at something like $3.50 a piece for garbage. It's a giant pain in the ass having to go to the grocery story at 10PM because you realize you're out of stickers.

 

On the other hand, since you have to pay $3.50 a can for garbage but can put out unlimited recycling cans for free, it really does encourage people to recycle. Everyone has at least one recycling bin, some people have two or three alongside their one garbage can.

 

We get billed together with our water for a flat fee.

I wish they did it that way and gave us the big, sturdy WM roller bins as well.

We have a separate can/day for recycling that's included in the fees for garbage pickup. Everyone in the neighborhood (as far as I can tell) participates. They take just about everything, but not plastic store bags. I drop those off at the grocery store, and they recycle them. Cardboard and paper go to the church, and they get money for recycling it. I take the cans and any other metal to a place that pays for metal recycling. Kind of a pain, but I feel guilty just throwing everything into the trash barrel.

 

I do this for the money. Usually we put it towards whatever trip we do during the summer. I add that to whatever money I make from pay for click type sites and usually end up in the area of $500 annually. That way I don't have to worry about budgeting for a small trip.

I wish they did it that way and gave us the big, sturdy WM roller bins as well.

 

We get ones for both garbage and recycling. That is very nice.

I do this for the money. Usually we put it towards whatever trip we do during the summer. I add that to whatever money I make from pay for click type sites and usually end up in the area of $500 annually. That way I don't have to worry about budgeting for a small trip.

 

My friend is an electrician. Some guys make their mortgage payment by turning in copper scrap from jobs.

We get ones for both garbage and recycling. That is very nice.

 

Yeah, that's how it is for my parents. They're getting a yard waste one this year, too. Since they're all the same, WM can use an automated truck. For our neighborhood, every can has to be hand-lifted.

My friend is an electrician. Some guys make their mortgage payment by turning in copper scrap from jobs.

 

Oh yeah, we get the guys who roam the alley's on garbage and recycling day for sure. I don't go out of my way for stuff, but do keep anything of value to recycle for money. We have a decent sized two car garage we can fit a lot of stuff in.

Yeah, that's how it is for my parents. They're getting a yard waste one this year, too. Since they're all the same, WM can use an automated truck. For our neighborhood, every can has to be hand-lifted.

 

We have our own sanitary department, but that is exactly what they do. Most of the time they don't even get out of the truck anymore.

Oh yeah, we get the guys who roam the alley's on garbage and recycling day for sure. I don't go out of my way for stuff, but do keep anything of value to recycle for money. We have a decent sized two car garage we can fit a lot of stuff in.

Those guys are always cruising around, which is why whenever I have something like that, I just drag it to the curb and know it'll be gone before morning.

 

We have an "amnesty" day once a year where, if you have at least five garbage stickers, you can throw away as much as you want. It's like Christmas for the scrap collectors.

Those guys are always cruising around, which is why whenever I have something like that, I just drag it to the curb and know it'll be gone before morning.

 

Same here. Most of the time it's gone before midnight.

 

They kinda pissed me off though when I threw a couch out that had recliners on each end of it. It was already falling apart but they ripped the metal out of if and left the rest of the couch in pieces. So I spent an hour or so with a box cutter and a hammer tearing the rest of it apart. I'm using the wood for firewood and I took the stuffing out and used it to stuff the giant pillow we have for our dog.

 

I do this for the money. Usually we put it towards whatever trip we do during the summer. I add that to whatever money I make from pay for click type sites and usually end up in the area of $500 annually. That way I don't have to worry about budgeting for a small trip.

 

We recycle aluminum cans as well but we just give the money to our kids. We usually only get around $10 or so each time we go. That's for 4 or 5 garbage bags full. It's almost not worth it. We recycled a cast iron bathtub one time and got like $40 for it.

 

Just last night we "recycled" a dog house that our neighbors were throwing out. It's a good solid dog house with a floor and real shingles on the roof of it. It even has insulation in it. I can't figure out why they were getting rid of it.

Same here. Most of the time it's gone before midnight.

 

They kinda pissed me off though when I threw a couch out that had recliners on each end of it. It was already falling apart but they ripped the metal out of if and left the rest of the couch in pieces. So I spent an hour or so with a box cutter and a hammer tearing the rest of it apart. I'm using the wood for firewood and I took the stuffing out and used it to stuff the giant pillow we have for our dog.

 

 

 

We recycle aluminum cans as well but we just give the money to our kids. We usually only get around $10 or so each time we go. That's for 4 or 5 garbage bags full. It's almost not worth it. We recycled a cast iron bathtub one time and got like $40 for it.

 

Just last night we "recycled" a dog house that our neighbors were throwing out. It's a good solid dog house with a floor and real shingles on the roof of it. It even has insulation in it. I can't figure out why they were getting rid of it.

 

We collect cans for a year at a time usually. I think last year we ended up with right about $100.

I debated about making this a seperate thread but I'll stick it here for now.

 

There is a Goodwill store near our house that I drive past all the time. On the side is the door where people drop off their donations. Many times people will come after the store is closed and just drop stuff at the door. I've even done this myself a couple of times. Mostly with bags of clothes.

 

I don't care about getting a receipt for tax purposes. I don't want to throw the stuff away because it's still usable. I just want to get it out of my house and hope that somebody else can use it eventually.

 

I've actually seen some pretty nice things left by the door including a wooden rocker/glider chair and a big screen TV.

 

Now the question I have is if somebody comes along and takes something that's lying by the door, should it be considered stealing?

I debated about making this a seperate thread but I'll stick it here for now.

 

There is a Goodwill store near our house that I drive past all the time. On the side is the door where people drop off their donations. Many times people will come after the store is closed and just drop stuff at the door. I've even done this myself a couple of times. Mostly with bags of clothes.

 

I don't care about getting a receipt for tax purposes. I don't want to throw the stuff away because it's still usable. I just want to get it out of my house and hope that somebody else can use it eventually.

 

I've actually seen some pretty nice things left by the door including a wooden rocker/glider chair and a big screen TV.

 

Now the question I have is if somebody comes along and takes something that's lying by the door, should it be considered stealing?

 

Yes. Those things are being sold later on.

I debated about making this a seperate thread but I'll stick it here for now.

 

There is a Goodwill store near our house that I drive past all the time. On the side is the door where people drop off their donations. Many times people will come after the store is closed and just drop stuff at the door. I've even done this myself a couple of times. Mostly with bags of clothes.

 

I don't care about getting a receipt for tax purposes. I don't want to throw the stuff away because it's still usable. I just want to get it out of my house and hope that somebody else can use it eventually.

 

I've actually seen some pretty nice things left by the door including a wooden rocker/glider chair and a big screen TV.

 

Now the question I have is if somebody comes along and takes something that's lying by the door, should it be considered stealing?

 

Yes, IMO, that would be stealing. Same goes for the people that work there taking stuff, and I'll explain that in a second...

 

My family gives a LOT of cloths and toys to good will every year, I'm talking garbage bags full. I've always wondered if the people that run the good will take the good stuff instead of giving it to needy people, though.

 

For example, I actually gave them 2 of my *official* White Sox jerseys last year (I had so many), and I just have to wonder if they ever made it into the hands of people that would really love them, or if the people that work there just took them. :/

Goodwill's model is primarily about providing work opportunities and training, not being a thrift store. So it's not so much about your items being resold to needy people but the revenue those sales bring in being used to employ and train and have other community programs.

 

For what you're talking about, the theft amounts to the same thing either way.