recycling ridiculous

Is Recycling Ridiculous?

First-world problems coming in hot, but my recycling issues are a mess. Our recycling company only comes every other week.

I shared this with a friend in New York and she kind of freaked out. She asked how I manage. She said she had never heard of such an infrequent schedule. Her recycling comes twice a week. TWICE A WEEK!

What?!

I’m a busy mom, and I frequently order online from Target or Amazon. However, it’s not just the broken-down boxes I’m trying to fit into the tapered container that’s a problem, it’s the apple juice containers, milk jugs, vegetable cans, and Power Aid containers, etc.

Also, they use a robotic arm to pick up the can, so most of the time my overflowing recycling container is pouring out into the street and I’m chasing the refuse down like a mad woman. I mean, what happens on the days I’m not home and I’m unable to stop polluting my streets with the dang recycling?!

You know, there are studies saying recycling isn’t quite as beneficial as we’d all like to believe. I’m not sure I entirely believe that. I feel like we have to try, but maybe planting trees is the better use of my resources.

Check out this Instagram video NPR did about how our recycling may not be going exactly where you think it is. Yikes.

I’m ready to stop recycling and just get two trash cans and then I can get rid of my junk every week. It feels defeatist as hell, but I’m sick of the mess and sick of the hassle. I want to save the planet, but why do I feel like I’m working alone?

Does anyone else feel this way or am I just extra disastrous in this area? Also, if so, keep it to yourself. There are certain lies I tell myself and if you’re any kind of friend, you’ll let me cling to those lies.

certain lies - recycling

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Heather Chastain

About Heather

(So, my web designer says I needed to include a bio, though I find this task silly because, if you’re here, you know me.)

I’m a writer. It’s what I do. It’s a cathartic mechanism when I need release from my anxiety. I’ve had blogs in the past; I’ve taken them down, but I never stopped writing. I simply can’t. My notes app is forever long as it’s filled with pages and pages of different topics. Sometimes I just write a few sentences. Sometimes I write paragraphs.

Recently, I've been writing long essays. My friends and others I hold dear have coaxed me into sharing my work again.

So that's what I'm doing, you wicked, pushy people. LOL

I have no desire to see my writing be anything more than an opportunity to share what I love doing most. I have no interest in this blog reaching the masses.

I thought it would be fun to call it My Spicy Disaster because that's often how I feel. A complete mess of epic proportion. So join me, if you'd like, and let's pretend we're not sitting amongst the chaos crying, but laughing instead.

Or maybe we do cry sometimes, but then wipe our tears and remember one person’s disaster is another person’s … well, who the hell knows …

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