Here’s Fandango’s question:
MOST RECYCLING PROGRAMS INSTRUCT US TO THOROUGHLY WASH AND DRY THE ITEMS (OTHER THAN PAPER OR CARDBOARD) BEFORE PUTTING THEM IN THE RECYCLING BIN. IF YOU LIVED IN AN AREA THAT IS SUFFERING FROM A SEVERE DROUGHT (AS I DO), WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO WASTE THE WATER NECESSARY TO COMPLY WITH THOSE INSTRUCTIONS, WOULD YOU IGNORE THEM AND THROW UNWASHED ITEMS IN THE RECYCLING BIN, OR WOULD YOU PUT RECYCLABLE BUT UNWASHED ITEMS IN THE TRASH (LANDFILL) BIN?
I live in the UK and I usually put dry packaging and magazines in the recycling bin, along with tins that I rinse out. I’ve heard in the past that quite a lot of recycling ends up in landfill sites anyway, but I do my bit when I can. However, I wouldn’t bother trying to wash out fiddly empty toothpaste tubes – they go straight into the rubbish bin.
At the moment we are not suffering drought conditions, but sometimes there is a hosepipe ban and we are told not to wash cars or water the garden. In this case I would conserve water and instead of rinsing out tins I’d put them straight into the rubbish bin.
My father instilled in me never to waste water. He did National Service in Egypt and was given only a pint of water per day to wash and shave in. Some people leave taps running when they clean their teeth, but I was always told not to do that and even today still cannot do this. If I have a bath I only fill it up about 6 – 8 inches from the bottom. Water is a finite resource; more and more houses are being built and I wonder whether we will suffer more from drought conditions as the population increases? It’s quite a worrying prospect.
What would you do?
Stevie Turner 
Again, good on you. I don’t pay for water where I live and I can respect not wasting it from my many homes. No, I too don’t leave the water running while brushing teeth. Sistah! xx
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Lol! x
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I am in full consense with you, Stevie! Here also most of the previously for recycling purposes cleaned waste is burt among the other waste. It’s only a way to earn more money with the well established recycling industry. Our first duty is saving water. Best wishes, Michael
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Yes, I agree, Michael. Saving water is a must.
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Reblogged this on NEW BLOG HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Thank you, Michael.
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I too, turn off the water tap when I brush my teeth and turn it back on to rinse my mouth and my toothbrush. And yes, for the one time a month that I would normally throw out an empty toothpaste tube, it does seem like a waste of water to rinse it out.
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I agree. I never rinse them out. Thanks for commenting.
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I rarely wash out jars and cans. For one thing, we are on a water meter, and for another, most recycled glass is thoroughly washed again before being used anyway.. I keep strictly to the recycling rules though, as we can be fined here for non-recyclable items added in error. However, I also know (from online research and BBC investigations) that a great deal of ‘recylables’ are burned in incinerators to generate power becuase is is too expensive to recycle some items.
Some plastics are also sent overseas in containers to be recycled, as far away as China. That is just ridiculous.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Yes, we are on a water meter too, but I thought the rules were that we had to wash cans out? i put glass in the glass bank sited at the village hall.
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We used to have to use the glass bank behind a restaurant up the road, but that changed three years ago, and now it has to go in the recycling. I haven’t washed hardly anything out since we moved here (11 years) and never had any complaint from the council.
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“I’ve heard in the past that quite a lot of recycling ends up in landfill sites anyway, but I do my bit when I can.” Exactly. All the recycling rules are crazy. I don’t rinse salsa jars. Maybe cans of whatever, but seriously? All that glass etc ends up as pieces in the bottom of the collection truck, clean or not. I load up my recycle bin, but I’m curious how much of it gets “recycled.”
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