Recycling Woes

Recycling Woes, originally uploaded by susanvg.

I don't like to complain. But.... the city delivered this massive recycling bin and won't pick up recycling from our old smaller containers. Where am I supposed to keep it? My garage is at the bottom of a fairly steep driveway - I actually park my car in front of the house to avoid this steep slippery slope. This was our first really snowy recycling day. I dragged the container up through the snow (it makes a fairly good snowplow) - my aerobic exercise! Then I brought the recycling boxes out from inside the house and emptied them into the bin. As hard as this is on snowy days, it is positively treacherous on icy days. I avoid walking up and down the driveway. I guess I'll be putting out recycling only when the weather is good.

Not quite a manhole

Not quite a manhole, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Every time I see one of these I cringe. They sit innocently at the edge of the sidewalk, but I know their sinister side. Some years ago, in an attempt to be environmentally sound in the days before curbside recycling, I carefully collected my recycling at home. Every so often I would drive it to the local collection barrels. One day I pulled up to the sidewalk near the barrels and my tire caught on the metal edge that slightly reached beyond the sidewalk. Pssssst I heard as it slashed my tire and the tire deflated. It wasn't easy being green nor was it cheap. I waited for the automobile club to come and change the tire then had to replace it.
Fortunately we now have curbside recycling but I can tell you I never park near one of these things. I remember too well the sinking feeling as my car settled onto the rim of the wheel.

Daily Shoot: Manhole covers have character and quietly tell a story. Make a photo of a manhole cover in your neighborhood today.

I had already photographed one in Casselman

and this one was not so different

so tried to find a different angle - with my story.

Day 12: Recycling Travels

Day 11: Recycling Travels, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Here's a photo that is really about the story - the picture is not artistic.

I travel regularly between our place in Casselman and our place in Montreal. Today I had a different passenger - our recycling box. As our apartment is slightly off the street, the town of Casselman wants to charge for recycling, so we have decided to have our recycling travel.

Looking in the box I have to think about how packaging has changed over the years. Eggs in plastic instead of cardboard, multiple packaging for one item ... Then there are the new ways of packaging with things that cannot be recycled - styrofoam. Thank goodness for recycling! At least our garbage contributions have lessened.

I came home to a week's worth of mail and despite the sign on my door for no junk mail, I have a pile of envelopes, packaging and solicitations to recycle. I guess the Casselman box will have a Montreal partner beside it tomorrow morning.