The Times are Changin' Tuesday
I alluded yesterday to a new series that I thought I'd work on for a while. Today I'd like to introduce "The Times are Changin' Tuesday". Catchy, right? Anyway, in my earlier writing about how we had seen the changes going on around us, I outlined a couple of the simple things that my wife and I had been noticing going on around us. It's been an ongoing conversation for us so together we thought it would be a good idea to document some of the things we see not only in our community, but in the world around us.
I don't want to get into too much analysis of the causes behind the things that I address, although some is inevitable. What I'd really like to get is some feedback from you on how you see them. Do you see these types of things in your neighborhood? What DO you see?
Well, enough intro, what did I notice this week? Something that in a slightly different version is prevalent here in my area.
It seems that, in the bay area at least, Thieves are getting to the recycle bins that are provided by the cities before the cities are. As costs rise, and the $$ return for recycling is increasing, recyclable goods are becoming more and more a hot commodity. Here in Utah, we've had a rash of robberies lately too. Not of recyclable aluminum or copper but of catalytic converters. It seems they contain a lot of VERY expensive metals and folks are stealing them and selling the metals.
Do you see more people recycling in your neighborhood? Have you ever seen anyone stealing recyclables? Do you think that recycling information programs have finally just really kicked in and everyone is concerned about the earth? Maybe, but I doubt it. The fact is, people are trying different kinds of knots to keep the ends tied. The world's changing folks. Keep up or get swept up.
More next Tuesday.
P~
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Times are changing Tuesday
7 comments:
We have ALOT of that happening here too. A house for sale near my parents was stripped of all it's siding in the back and all the wiring and piping internally. MI is working on laws because the problem is so rampant. A nearby city had it's manhole covers stolen and turned in for $. People go into the mall to shop, and come out to a car that doesn't work. The converters ripped right out while they shopped!
Hi, P - I've been reading you blog for about a week now & really enjoy it. Used to live in Pocatello, so was 'almost a neighbor' (smile) Doesn't seem to be a big push for recycling in my immediate neighborhood, but the last week the County Landfill had a notice in the paper that they would now begin accepting mixed plastics & cardboard cereal boxes - doesn't sound like much, but a big step here. Also, they have to be brought TO the center, will not be part of curbside pick-up, but that's fine by me!
Carla in N. ID
Every Wednesday night (trash Day is Thursday) a guy with a shopping cart goes down the street digging through blue recycling cans. I live in the Sugarhouse area of SLC and this has been going on for about a year.
I haven't seen more people recycling or stealing the recycling but I have noticed other things like traffic isn't as bad, more people at the farmer's market, people are cutting back on using non-recyclable plastic or reusing it/making it into something else. I like the idea for the series keep it up!
In our last neighbourhood right in the city we called them "binners". They come by with their shopping carts and pick the bottles and cans out of the recycling. Nobody minds, and in fact they do us a service. In my current, very suburban, neighbourhood there is none of that. But we do hear news reports about thefts of aluminum, etc.
Hey, Thanks for the great comments. I'm so glad everyone seems to be reacting well to the idea for this series. I'm enspecially happy to hear from a visitor from Salt Lake City. It's so rare, I hope to hear from you again soon Grim.
Carla, thanks for finally chiming in. I hope you'll add your two cents more often.
P~
I am in Australia. We don't have people going through the recycling bins for hard waste like you describe, but where I used to live in Sydney there is a hard waste collection free of chage for large items of furniture, greenwaste etc, (not chemicals or car tyres) and I have been known to stop and pick up garden items, working sewing machines, crockery, furniture etc. It's great as whatever is not taken is put in landfill except the greenwaste and metal scraps.
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