Every other Thursday, I dutifully drag my recycling bins to the curb for city pick up. It takes very little effort and has become just another chore, part of any homeowner’s daily/weekly/monthly litany of to-do’s. Each of these duties, taken separately (scooping the catbox, washing the kitchen floor, grocery shopping, trimming the bushes … ) is not a big deal. Some can even be nice little diversions – at worst, they’re minor annoyances. But collectively, they can be downright burdensome, and at any given time one particular duty can be a straw-breaking-the-camel’s-back event that leads to teeth-gritting, cursing, item-flinging (the cat knows to keep clear in these moments) and, ultimately, giving up. So when I drive to work those every-other Thursdays and see more than a few curbs with no recycling bins alongside the regular trash barrels, I do sort of understand. Recycling can be a hassle. But benefits of curbside recycling far outweigh the effort needed these days to recycle household and workplace waste.

However, in case you need the recycling process to make up an even smaller percentage of your daily grind (say, for some ungodly reason, if you have enough cats to necessitate cleaning of more than one catbox) here’s some info you may be able to use:

If the sorting of paper from plastic/aluminum/tin/glass/etc. is too much for you – or even separating anything recyclable from anything NOT recyclable – then you (or your workplace) may want to opt for the U-Box-It, a smallish disposal bin that can hold up to 1,000 pounds of waste and is itself recyclable. You can store this bad boy in your garage (home) or stairwell (work), throw anything into it and when it’s full the company will come and haul it away, separate out anything recyclable and dispose of the rest. The convenience comes with a cost, of course, but it seems a relatively affordable, convenient option to the “metal beast sitting out in your driveway,” as company founder Tony Mammone tells Business Week.

Not sure exactly how your local recycling plan works (how do I get a recycling bin, how often do I put it out, etc.), or wondering just what in the name of all that’s good and holy this whole recycling craze is all about anyway? Check out the EPA map listing each state’s waste, conservation and environmental management resources. No matter where you live, this will get you headed in the right direction.

If you’re in an area without easy recycling options, you can still let them come to you. There are quite a few companies out there that will pick up your recyclables, from U.S.-wide companies like American Paper Recycling to local outfits such as the Boulder, Colo.-area Green Girl Recycling.

And for those of you who argue recycling is actually doing more harm than good, there is ample evidence that’s just not true, so drop the excuses and drag them bins curbside.

Labels: curbside recycling, u-box-it, workplace recycling

Labels: commute, commuting, green, workplace recycling