I live in an apartment complex that's part of a greater apartment community of several complexes all sharing a clubhouse and owned by the same company. I went to the clubhouse yesterday to request that the community start a recycling program only to find out that we already have one! I had no idea, and we've been living here almost a year. It's not the best recycling program. In fact, it's just a big, red bin with sections for cans, plastic, and cardboard nestled in one of the other complexes. Still, some kind of recycling program is better than no recycling program at all.
I have a theory as to why people don't recycle, and I don't think it's because they don't want to do it. I've come up with 3 main reasons people don't recycle. At least, these are the reasons I don't always recycle.
1) Trashcans are closer. If given a choice between tossing an empty beer bottle or a scrap of paper in a trashcan across the room or taking it to a recycling bin across the parking lot, most people choose to just throw it away.
2) Recycling requires sorting. If it wasn't for the sorting, trashcans could simply be replaced by recycling bins and then recycling would be the most convenient option.
3) People don't know where to take their recycling if they do make the effort to save it and sort it.
In response to number 3, it occurred to me that, if I didn't know we had recycling in this community, other residents probably don't know either. So, today, I made and laminated flyers to put by the dumpsters that let my neighbors know where the recycling bin is in our apartment community.
I'm still trying to think of practical ways to address reasons 2&3. Stay-tuned for updates on possible solutions to these problems. Also, please tell me if you have any ideas of your own!
I want this blog to be available as a forum for discussion on actions to improve the world.
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