Recycling
By winterose
@winterose (39887)
Canada
September 19, 2012 4:53pm CST
The building I live in a seniors building. We do have a shut where we can throw our garbage on every floor. This is very convenient because we don't have to go out into the cold and ice in the winter to put out garbage.
However, the recycling such as paper and plastic and cardboard must be taken across the street, this is unpleasant and rather dangerous for the elderly. Even me if it is slippery.
The janitor does allow us to cut up the boxes and put them down the shut in a bag, but we are stuck for bottles.
Tonight I have to go across the street because I am throwing out a glass tea pot and a bottle.
What do you think about this, of course the reason for not allowing bottles is that they may break going down the shut.
But what about seniors walking and falling trying to get their recyclables out?
3 people like this
13 responses
@changjiangzhibin89 (16763)
• China
23 Sep 12
Now that it is a seniors building, they must make allowances for the recycling and handle it properly.You might as well complain about it to the departments concerned. By the way,what is the "shut"? Is it trash can?
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
24 Sep 12
there is no where to complain it is the city that makes the laws and this building is owned by the city.
the shute was spelled wrong it should be chute. It is a place in the building where you open up the door and throw your garbage into a tunnel that goes down to the basement where the janitor collects the garbage.
@changjiangzhibin89 (16763)
• China
26 Sep 12
So that is how it is.It seems that your building belongs to welfare-oriented public house.
@celticeagle (166926)
• Boise, Idaho
20 Sep 12
That does sound very dangerous. I wonder if there isn't something that could be done so that the seniors don't have to walk across the street. I would think that changing the location of the recycle bin or hiring someone to take recyclables over there for them. Someone in or around the building that is younger and able bodied. Make them alitte extra money. Wouldn't have to be much.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
21 Sep 12
well the place is determined by the city, but finding a solution within the complex would be nice.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160665)
• United States
19 Sep 12
I take it from your post that the recycling is mandatory.If it is then they should think about having more accessible bins for the various things. Just from a practical matter they do not want their tenants to be getting hurt all the time. I also think I would wait until I had several things to take over there.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160665)
• United States
21 Sep 12
They should make it more convenient for all tenants.
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
21 Sep 12
Yes but then there is too much stuff in the house. So far we are getting rid of the recyclables as we get them. I have my son, but I am concerned for the feeble elderly.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (92714)
• United States
20 Sep 12
Sometimes I think people make it hard to get to those so only the people who are recycling will use them. I have seen so many people throw trash in cans and bins that specifically say they are for recycling only. I think sometimes they put them in hard to get places because they know only people who really want to help the environment would go to that much trouble. Not very nice or convenient. But hey, that's my own theory.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
19 Sep 12
my mom's building (very high end) had recycling pick up once a week outside their doors, but at the place that Maggie's mom lived it didn't
Believe me, people put everything down the chute.
When I was cleaning out Maggie's mom's place, there were days when even tho she was on the 6th floor, the chute was so full you couldn't put anything else in it!
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
21 Sep 12
wow, do these people not have any regard for bottles busting and hurting the janitor who has to pick up all that mess
1 person likes this
@echoforever (5180)
• United States
19 Sep 12
Not saying this is a great solution or really a solution at all but just a fact - They could put their recyclables in with the garbage. A lot of people do on accident anyway and if they're not wanting to walk across a dangerous street to do so, I don't see why they shouldn't do this.
If the complex or place you're in has an issue with it then they'll eventually have to put in other bins for recycling.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
21 Sep 12
that would be counter productive, the recyclables have to be different to the garbage.
@echoforever (5180)
• United States
3 Oct 12
Okay I suppose that is not the option then 
Was there ever a solution found for this so the elderly would not have to walk across the street?
Was there ever a solution found for this so the elderly would not have to walk across the street?
@joyceshookery (2057)
• United States
20 Sep 12
I recycle cans and bottles because I get money, and even $5-7 makes it worth my while...that is as long as I have a car to haul them to the recycling center. When I didn't have a car, I gave my cans and bottles to a friend.
There's no law that says I MUST recycle or be punished. Is there such a law in Canada? If it's too difficult for someone to walk across the street with recyclables, how 'bout they just throw them away with the regular trash? Or give them away to someone else.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
21 Sep 12
you get a 150 fine if you don't recycle here. Recyclables are also empty packages from your food, boxes, paper, plants, bottles, plastics and so on.
@much2say (55606)
• Los Angeles, California
19 Sep 12
It's nice they have a chute for the garbage . . . but I suppose the system was designed before the whole recycling thing? Or maybe it's that the people who own the building don't care about recycling so they haven't devised anything systematic for disposing recyclables? At our apartment complex, we only had 2 dinky bins for 50 or so units . . . it got rather frustrating as it got filled up fast - so I think people just dropped the idea of doing it - unfortunately. It'd be nice if in your building someone could be hired to pick up the recyclables at every door on a certain day for the seniors . . . that would actually be a nice service for someone to do for their community!
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
21 Sep 12
the landlord is the city of Montreal, they want recycling. Yet they expect seniors to go across the street and risk slipping and falling in the winter.
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
20 Sep 12
That could be dangerous for you. We have two bins outside. Everyone does. Recycling goes into one and trash in the other. I take them to the end of the driveway on Monday for pick up on Tuesday. It's convenient. The trucks have robotic arms and the driver can empty our bins with the robotic attachment on the truck so the driver never has to touch the bins. It also cuts down on manpower.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
21 Sep 12
in regular houses that is what happens you separate your garbage from your recyclables and put it both in the same place but not here.
@koopharper (7601)
• Canada
19 Sep 12
I'm not saying we have a better system here in New Brunswick but we use color coded garbage bags. We have to put it all on the street but the blue bags go out with the green bags and the same truck picks them all up. Most public trash containers have different places to put different types of trash. Sounds to me like the people who run your seniors building is not terribly concerned about recycling.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
21 Sep 12
they are concerned, they tell us where the cycling goes but it is across the street and not down the chute which is reserved just for garbage
@mrswhitfield (2044)
• Indonesia
21 Sep 12
it's not safe for seniors to cross the street just to get rid of garbage, it could be slippery. One of my aunts also lived in an old building, she lives on the 2nd floor. She had knee problems so it is very distressing for her to have to go up and down the stairs every day. Every night one of her neighbor kids, about 10 years old boy, stop at her place to ask if she want him to take her garbage out. In repla aunt gives him snacks likes bar of chocolate, potato chips, cookies or some fruits.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
21 Sep 12
that is great that your aunt found someone, I have my son so it is not an option for me, but I feel for the seniors who have nobody.
@911Ricki (13588)
• Canada
19 Sep 12
In the seniors complex I use to work with each apartment had their own recycling and garbage can (obviously), but we would go around near the end of our shifts and collect them. The residents would leave it out in the hall, and we just either empty it into a big bag, or take their little bag. I think it is dangerous, and even if they had something in a room inside the building.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
21 Sep 12
we are not allowed to put stuff outside our apartments in the hall because it is a fire hazard.
