# Do your traditional political views run counter to your recycling views? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 7, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-traditional-political-views-run-counter-to-your-recycling-views/556409 "2010-10-07T20:57:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-traditional-political-views-run-counter-to-your-recycling-views/556409/1 "2010-10-07T20:57:39Z")
It is my understanding that traditionally people that are more ecologically minded tend to be more liberal left leaning in their political views. But I have come across a number of friends and colleagues that are contrary to the type. Meaning that I have a number of left leaning friends and family members, that could give a rat’s ass about recycling. Conversely, I have a significant number of traditionally right leaning conservative friends that are rabid about recycling. So where do you fall? ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-traditional-political-views-run-counter-to-your-recycling-views/556409/2 "2010-10-07T22:46:03Z")
I think most people want to recycle but are lazy about it. You make it easy for them and they will comply ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-traditional-political-views-run-counter-to-your-recycling-views/556409/3 "2010-10-08T00:11:07Z")
Conservative who doesn’t recycle here. My city adopted a gung-ho recycling program several years ago. The “rules” are complex and easily misunderstood. I doubt any of our city leaders could, if cornered, recite half of them. After a spate of nasty-grams from the city, and one threat of a $2000.00 fine for a pizza box\*, I quit recycling. I don’t really care, and it’s not worth the hassle. \*apparently they’re not recyclable. Og knows why. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-traditional-political-views-run-counter-to-your-recycling-views/556409/4 "2010-10-08T20:53:18Z")
Conservative, but into recycling. You should ask why those conservatives you know recycle, because I bet it’s not to be ecologically minded, but to be fiscally so. I don’t recycle to save the enviroment, but because we pay to dispose of trash in this town to the tune of $1.50 a bag and recycling is free, so the more I recycle, the less I have to pay to get rid of. Supposedly recycling brings down some consumer product costs as well, though I’ve seen mixed reports on the truthfulness of that. **Pullin** , pizza boxes aren’t recyclable because they have often food bits on them. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-traditional-political-views-run-counter-to-your-recycling-views/556409/5 "2010-10-08T23:57:57Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > **Pullin** , pizza boxes aren’t recyclable because they have often food bits on them. Ignorance fought, thanks. Had no idea the process couldn’t handle small amounts of food. Our instruction manual didn’t mention food. Just looked on my city’s website, and it _still_ doesn’t have anything forbidding food-encrustation. Just says cardboard is recyclable. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2010, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-traditional-political-views-run-counter-to-your-recycling-views/556409/6 "2010-10-09T04:12:32Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > Conservative who doesn’t recycle here. > > My city adopted a gung-ho recycling program several years ago. The “rules” are complex and easily misunderstood. I doubt any of our city leaders could, if cornered, recite half of them. After a spate of nasty-grams from the city, and one threat of a $2000.00 fine for a pizza box\*, I quit recycling. I don’t really care, and it’s not worth the hassle. > > \*apparently they’re not recyclable. Og knows why. Conservative who recycles but WTH? $2000 fine for a pizza box? Oh hell no. I was recycling before cities set out bins for it but no frickin way would I put up with that nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2010, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-traditional-political-views-run-counter-to-your-recycling-views/556409/7 "2010-10-09T04:28:11Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > > [@pullin](#): > > > > Conservative who doesn’t recycle here. > > > > My city adopted a gung-ho recycling program several years ago. The “rules” are complex and easily misunderstood. I doubt any of our city leaders could, if cornered, recite half of them. After a spate of nasty-grams from the city, and one threat of a $2000.00 fine for a pizza box\*, I quit recycling. I don’t really care, and it’s not worth the hassle. > > > > \*apparently they’re not recyclable. Og knows why. > > Conservative who recycles but WTH? $2000 fine for a pizza box? Oh hell no. I was recycling before cities set out bins for it but no frickin way would I put up with that nonsense. It was more like a ticket listing my malfeasance(s). Printed on the ticket was a warning that multiple offenses (this was my third) could result in fines up to $2000.00. Then on the lower half of the ticket was a listing of common sins, and “Pizza Box” was checked. It didn’t actually say “we’re gonna fine you two grand if you leave another pizza box”. One of my “priors” happened when some contractors decided to dump their paint (and brushes) into my bin while I was at work. The city apparently expects me to stay home and guard the bin on trash day. These experiences have left me less than enthusiastic about recycling. To top it all off, my company (with great fanfare) has started a big recycling program. I goofed and put some leftover food in the wrong bin, and was fishing it out (while apologizing to our janitor). He told me to relax, it all ends up in the same dumpster out back.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![wipetheclock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b19c9b/32.png) [@wipetheclock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wipetheclock)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2010, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-traditional-political-views-run-counter-to-your-recycling-views/556409/8 "2010-10-09T06:03:41Z")
I’m a liberal recycler but my dad is conservatish (fiscally conservative, socially doesn’t give a crap what other people do) and he’s an avid recycler. It’s particularly interesting because he was not only a fairly early adopter but he must go out of his way to recycle. There is no curbside pickup in the rural area where my parents live, so he has to haul to the center himself. He does so dutifully once a month and carps at mom when she throws something that can be recycled in the trash (she doesn’t get it), You would not expect this by looking at him or knowing him casually. Dad is a traditional, older Southern guy with a pickup truck and lots of guns. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2010, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-traditional-political-views-run-counter-to-your-recycling-views/556409/9 "2010-10-09T07:31:21Z")
I only recycle because it’s set up very easily to do so. I personally don’t believe recycling is economically feasible, and should be rethought, but I am also likely under-informed on this issue, especially as time goes by. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2010, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-traditional-political-views-run-counter-to-your-recycling-views/556409/10 "2010-10-09T07:50:29Z")
It’s extremely easy to recycle here. All plastics, paper and metal that can be recycled go in the large blue bin. Glass goes in the red bin. Trash goes in the trash bin. By far the blue bin gets used the most. I have a 20 gallon garbage can that gets emptied once every two weeks, the 50 gallon blue bin is emptied every week. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2010, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-traditional-political-views-run-counter-to-your-recycling-views/556409/11 "2010-10-09T08:03:11Z")
Liberal non-recycler here. I barely have enough room for a single garbage can in my kitchen, and I’m not about to store bins or whatever in other areas of my apartment. On top of that, the dumpster area is several hundred feet away, too far to be traipsing back and forth all the time to recycle shit. So everything gets trashed. If my apartment complex made it easier (read: little to no effort on my part) to recycle, I might consider it, but I really don’t care that much. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-traditional-political-views-run-counter-to-your-recycling-views/556409/12 "2010-10-09T16:59:35Z")
There are lots of conservative people who are gung-ho about things like recycling, slow food, environment etc. They call themselves crunchy cons. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-traditional-political-views-run-counter-to-your-recycling-views/556409/13 "2010-10-09T17:24:12Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > I think most people want to recycle but are lazy about it. You make it easy for them and they will comply Yep. In Seattle, paper, glass, aluminum, cardboard, etc. could all be placed in one large container. But here in my little town, everything has to be separated and tied up with string. Newspaper in one bundle, magazines in another, cans have to be washed and flattened and the labels removed, glossy ads have to be separate from newsprint. It’s a pain in the ass. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2010, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-traditional-political-views-run-counter-to-your-recycling-views/556409/14 "2010-10-09T17:31:49Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > Conservative who doesn’t recycle here. > > My city adopted a gung-ho recycling program several years ago. The “rules” are complex and easily misunderstood. I doubt any of our city leaders could, if cornered, recite half of them. After a spate of nasty-grams from the city, and one threat of a $2000.00 fine for a pizza box\*, I quit recycling. I don’t really care, and it’s not worth the hassle. > > \*apparently they’re not recyclable. Og knows why. In my city, you can’t recycle paper that has grease soaked into it. Pizza boxes, take out food containers, that kind of stuff. > [@AuntiePam](#): > > > [@Markxxx](#): > > > > I think most people want to recycle but are lazy about it. You make it easy for them and they will comply > > Yep. In Seattle, paper, glass, aluminum, cardboard, etc. could all be placed in one large container. But here in my little town, everything has to be separated and tied up with string. Newspaper in one bundle, magazines in another, cans have to be washed and flattened and the labels removed, glossy ads have to be separate from newsprint. It’s a pain in the ass. My city used to be like that. Cans and glass went into the recycling bin, cardboard, cut down to size in the bin on top of the cans and newspaper bundled and placed on top of that. About 6 years ago, they changed the rules. Now they not only allow, but encourage us to just toss everything in. No sorting whatsoever. I’m not sure if they got a better deal on single-sort recycling or if they were just trying to make it easier. Either way, with the two bins right next to each other in my driveway it’s just as easy to recycle as it is to not do it (Well, almost anyways). ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2010, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-traditional-political-views-run-counter-to-your-recycling-views/556409/15 "2010-10-09T17:32:03Z")
I only recycle cans and bottles. I generate a \*\*LOT \*\*of cans and bottles. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2010, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-traditional-political-views-run-counter-to-your-recycling-views/556409/16 "2010-10-10T04:50:22Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > I think most people want to recycle but are lazy about it. You make it easy for them and they will comply Exactly. Throw glass in bin labeled “Glass”: Sure. Empty contents of can, wash can out being sure to completely remove the label, remove both top and bottom of can, crush can flat and throw into bin labeled “Aluminum”: Sorry, that bitch is just going in the trash. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2010, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-traditional-political-views-run-counter-to-your-recycling-views/556409/17 "2010-10-10T05:01:54Z")
None of the above, I’m a centrist who recycles.