July 13, 2010

Uber-recycling

Everyone takes their recycling very seriously here. Greg and I have adjusted quite well to it. I separate the wrappers for plastics recycling, organic waste for compost, glass based on colors and aluminum. Then, about every other week Greg or I take it to the recycling bins where we throw everything into the specified area for recycling. Except the compost stuff, regular trash and paper, which has its own recycling spots in our courtyard.

Even the grocery stores are required to have an area set aside for recycling packaging - e.g., I'll take out the cereal from the cardboard boxes and leave them there because the cereal is encased in a plastic bag anyway. Also, there are spots for plastic and old batteries, which is not easily found in the US. And the best part I'm going to save for another post - what they do with their plastic bottles in the supermarkets!

I had a hard time in Israel because recycling was so not common there. They had bins on the street for plastic bottles, but what was I to do with wrappers or glass containers or aluminum?? Throw it away was the only answer. I felt even worse in NYC because they didn't even have the plastic bottles recycling on the street - although Oren did tell me that they do recycle in the subways.

That seems like such a waste to me now because I know how much packaging can be recycled or even better, done away with all together. Being here I see how much we waste with our packaging. Greg's even more of a recycling, eco-hardliner than I'll ever be - I like shoes and clothes a little bit too much. I mentioned to him he should spout off on here about little things people can do to use less. He has some really good ideas that can easily be added into daily routines.

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