# Ever try to throw out a recycling can?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-try-to-throw-out-a-recycling-can/235727>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [March 22, 2004, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-try-to-throw-out-a-recycling-can/235727 "2004-03-22T14:56:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![HoldOnThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e36b37/32.png) [@HoldOnThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoldOnThere)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2004, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-try-to-throw-out-a-recycling-can/235727/1 "2004-03-22T14:56:53Z")

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My recycling can is looking a little beat up and I was wondering how one would dispose of a recycling can. If you put it on the curb, they just keep bringing it back. 😃 Maybe I should disguise it.

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**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2004, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-try-to-throw-out-a-recycling-can/235727/2 "2004-03-22T20:06:03Z")

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Yeah, trash cans are hard to get rid of. You pretty much have to smash it up and put the remains into a trash can or bag.

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**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2004, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-try-to-throw-out-a-recycling-can/235727/3 "2004-03-22T20:46:20Z")

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Try putting a sign on it “Trash – Please take.”

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**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2004, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-try-to-throw-out-a-recycling-can/235727/4 "2004-03-22T22:21:22Z")

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> [@Fat Bald Guy](#):
>
> Try putting a sign on it “Trash – Please take.”

I recently read an anecdote from a garbage handler in the All in a Day’s Work section of Reader’s Digest. The was making his rounds and noticed a garbage can with a “garbage” sign on it. He wrote something like “Thanks, but I know garbage when I see it” on the sign. Next garbage day, there was a new note: “The _can_ is the garbage!”

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**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-try-to-throw-out-a-recycling-can/235727/5 "2004-03-23T02:45:47Z")

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Back when my parents finally got some good Rubbermaid garbage cans (to replace the old cheap-ass garbage cans), they just filled the old ones with garbage and set them out on trash day with a paper note attached saying something like “Please take the cans.” It worked.