Recycling rant

In the wake of legislators looking to revamp Oregon's bottle bill, ("Two sides of the nickel," May 3 East Oregonian) some people don't really understand what recycling is. Taking empty cans and bottles back to the store isn't about the environment - it's purely driven by economics and getting a nickel back.

Recycling is smashing the soup or refried bean cans, throwing them into a bucket in the corner of our kitchen; flattening cardboard boxes and tossing them to one side of the garage; putting newspapers in grocery bags stacked on the dog's crate; and putting glass jars in a bag in our shed. Then when the bucket is full of cans or the cardboard starts getting in the way or the stack of newspapers builds, John or I fill the Bronco or truck and drive to the recycling trailers a half mile from our house and put the items in the corresponding bin.

To me, this type of recycling is an inconvenience. I don't get paid for it, I don't get a pat on the back for it, I just get the satisfaction in knowing it's the right thing to do.

And about my pop cans and bottles, I can't remember the last time I fed machines to get my nickels back. Instead, they collect in the garage (the opposite side from the cardboard) and when they start to overflow, I donate them to can and bottle drives held by Special Olympics or other worthy organizations.

Then there's the cans I collect at work. I have a box under my desk ... which quickly began overflowing with cans and bottles, so I poured them into a bit plastic bag. It seems, though, it never went from under my desk to anywhere else.

Then when I was working on the bottle bill story I met a woman who was taking cans and bottles back to the store so she could get enough money to purchase her medication. I told her she could come to the newsroom and I'd give her the bag. It wasn't a big act of charity on my part - I don't know how many nickles it represented, but she was very appreciative. However, I was just as appreciative to get the bag out from under my desk.