Since you seem to be seeking a suggestion as to a source of psychological counseling and emotional support with regard to your understandable “I don’t recycle” stress, my suggestion is that you see if Dr. Arthur Bonfield, who has a very full schedule of “I don’t recycle” patients right now, nevertheless might be able to work you in for a quick session before finals. You should find him quite reassuring. He may even have active support groups. You can tell him I recommended him to you.

Nick

http://www.cityofames.org/worksweb/resourcerecovery/default.htm

Anyways I think its perfect. They take the metal and the valuable stuff (i.e. worth recycling economically although you lose some of the feel good effect) and extract it.

Then, they shred the crap that cant be burned so it takes up less space in landfills. The rest is turned into power for 4600 homes a year.

I strongly prefer this method over the rest. now only if they would recycle more of it to make me feel better

I am sooooo not a liberal. And I will recycle every shred of paper I can.

But the best part: free recycling. I just drag my free bin out to the curb, walk back inside, and the magic recycling fairy does the rest. Easy as getting caught picking your nose in class.

If someone really wants to pick up my recycling, could it be done on a weekly basis because I can’t stand clutter.

My mom is an environmentalist. Sorry Mommy.

Here’s why I always give Fleming guff about not recycling: it’s not just the cans (and yes, you are literally throwing away your own money when you do not return bottles and cans to be recycled; you have already paid the five cents) … but there are plenty of glass bottles, milk jugs, magazines, newspapers and other things that can and should be recycled. All of these items can be re-used in some capacity (ie melted down and made into park benches). If you live in a rental unit in Iowa City, the City does not provide curbside recycling. So it’s a little more work to collect everything yourself and drive to the recycling center (that is on Benton Street, 2 seconds from where most of us live). Chances are you drive past the recycling a few times during the week anyway; I find that my designated recycling rubbermaid tub needs to be emptied every month or so.
Moreover, if you don’t feel like going to HyVee AND the city recycling center to get rid of it all, you can donate deposit-eligible cans and bottles at the recycling center and the funds go to public housing services. Even if the 5 cents is not worth it for you; it’s worth it to someone else. And you’re doing the most basic form of community service. I swear you feel better after doing it.

I’m not sure why I feel so strongly about recycling. For whatever reason, I feel like I’m doing something wrong when I throw something in the garbage that could be recycled. And I’m not even that liberal …

All this being said …. I DO drive to the recycling center in an SUV (albeit a small one) … so … there’s that.

As a former Chicago suburbanite (please hold back any ridicule), I am a bigger fan of the system we had back in the nice little suburb of Park Ridge. The city provided each property owner with a bright blue recycling bin, you’d throw in all your recyclables, place it in front of your house, and the city would pick it up each week. You had to be reallyyyy lazy to not comply with this system.

However, the Iowa system does have a plus side on a different level. If you have ever stepped outside your Iowa City apartment, you will undoubtedly see people picking up the slack (read: digging through trash to find cans). Perhaps, the bottle deposit results in a higher percentage of recycling than other states. (86% redemption rate, see http://www.iowadnr.com/waste/recycling/bottle.html)

So don’t fret, I would bet that your cans are ultimately getting recycled. If you’re really worried, just put the recyclabes in a plastic bag and leave it outside the dumpster… they will be found.