On a recent trip to a Mount Pleasant recycling drop site, it was clear that people were making just as many mistakes with their recycling as they were their trash. And since 2008 was the year of the Fail meme, which has generated its own blog and Wikipedia entry, I thought it might be time to start  a new column: Recycling Fail!

I mean, we’ve all been to one of Charleston County Recycling‘s drop sites and seen the piles of trash people have left – what are they thinking? I’ve even blogged about the serious problems they are having at one of the Mount Pleasant drop sites.

The first pic above is the most interesting, only because they made it all the way to the drop site and THEN failed. I mean, after you know what to recycle, one of the only other rules is to flatten your boxes. It even says so right on the dumpster! FAIL!

And what about the person that left a bag of trash and a pumpkin? A pumpkin??? I wish we had county-sponsored composting, but that doesn’t mean I can toss used holiday fruit wherever I please.  Also note that the pumpkin was discarded in a recyclable bag.

The person who left the mess below clearly scoffs at the rules. They probably drive in the left lane, take 2 newspapers, and sneak home office supplies too. Rules are rules peeps, so lets try to keep the trash in the landfill, not in the middle of a parking lot. I mean, that’s someone’s fence/backyard right there…how would that make you feel?

If you’ve seen some Recycling Fail around town, or even have some pics, please let us know!

Foam packing peanuts

There’s good news: If you receive foam peanuts this holiday season, you can drop them off for reuse at a shipping place instead of throwing them into your garbage!

That’s what I did…

When you receive a package stuffed with foam peanuts, save them in a box, bag, or basket near your other recycling. Once you have a big enough pile, or actually have something to ship, take them with you to the nearest packing place for reuse. Michael from Mail & More at Belle Hall Station told me that as long as the peanuts are clean, dry, and are not mixed with other trash, most packing places would love to have them back.

This is a great way to reduce the demand on new foam peanut production, all the while keeping polystyrene out of the landfill, air, or ecosystem. I have a relative that ships us boxes full of foam peanuts each Christmas, and it’s nice to be able to dispose of them in a green way. Of course, they’re always good for office pranks…

He didn’t want to chat for long – said he wanted to keep his heart rate elevated. I think I surprised him by stopping and thanking him. Not too long after, I spotted another obvious marathon man jogging capably and smartly with a plastic bag. I wondered if he, too, was picking up litter. Sure enough, I watched him stop briefly to put a discarded item in his bag.

Then I remembered the fabulous internet! I’ve read the Adopt-a-Highway Program signs, but what can individuals do to make a fighting difference against litter? I began with Keep Charleston Beautiful, a division of the Parks and Recreations department composed of community leaders appointed by Mayor Joe. An annual clean sweep week seems to be their most hands-on offering.

I was impressed with Palmetto Pride site, especially their list of programs and contacts. They also list a lot of ways to become involved, and local contacts.

South Carolina Litter Control is a non profit association, currently and actively seeking sponsorship. They have a partnership with Palmetto Pride, and work with local officials and concerned citizens to fight the litter fight.

I will continue to check these sites, hopefully join in a beach sweep. If you know of other efforts, I would like to hear about them. My spare time is rather limited right now, so I will join Steve and marathon man in a personal mission to clean up our area. Every litter bit counts!