By JOHN E. WEARE
KAB
Vigalantes? No, that’s too strong a word. Scavengers? Not altruistic enough. How about Recycling Robin Hoods? Closer. As we near America Recycles Day on Nov. 15 a phone call to start the work week reminded me of people who patiently tell their neighbors about the benefits of recycling, then – when they don’t listen – pull out the gigantic appliance box that takes up the whole dumpster themselves.
A woman on our senior curbside list called the KAB office the morning of Monday, November 2. She told me that someone in a red pickup had filled a nearly empty dumpster on the south end of the alley between the 1600 block of Countryside Lane and Buchfinck Ave. earlier that morning with plastic storage totes. Then, put what they couldn’t fit there in a dumpster further north in the alley.
It sounded like the person or persons in the pickup caused a ruckus. Her husband said they were not one of their neighbors entitled to the refuse space and therefore were responsible for illegal dumping. The couple reported the incident to the police before calling KAB to see if it would be possible to remove and recycle the totes. And, they explained that the garbage truck sometimes came by on Mondays. In other words the clock was ticking.
An opportunity to dumpster dive to start the week? Sure, I replied, I would be by to check it out. After attending to a few loose ends at the office I headed north and rolled into the alley. It was just as they described. Along with the plastic tubs I fished out a metal wheelbarrow hopper, and two cardboard boxes that had already been in the two bins filling the bed of the KAB Ford F250.
Most of the totes were dirty enough that we hosed them out to prep for use at the center or recycling with No. 1-6 plastic. However, they were all structurally sound and the batch included many accompanying lids. Over half of the totes are still at the recycling center if anyone wants to stop by and take one (or more) home.
The majority of the totes were labeled for storage/moving and no longer needed. Some had been relabeled. Designations included: Kitchen-Tupoperware; Mom & Dad’s winter boots, formerly Glassware; Kitchen Pots & Pans; Kitchen - Cookie Sheets/Casseroles had replaced Sparge Arm & Copper cooler & Keg Washer; Glass Bakeware Fragile; (Boy’s name) Hooks & Misc.; School Supplies; Office/desk misc.; Kitchen crockpot, mixer, cookbooks; Boxes & Bows, et. al. Perhaps the containers came from a family new to town who has just settled in.
Material that could be recycled ends up in alley trash bins throughout Alliance every day. I’d venture to say illegal dumping – tossing your garbage in a container you don’t pay for – is common as well. There are people who feel they shouldn’t pay to get rid of trash. It is the same mindset when you see a couch on the side of a country road or a king-size mattress in front of the recycling center. The practice isn’t easy for anyone since the “dumper” takes the time and effort to bring it to a place where somebody else is forced to clean up their mess, or, alternatively, has no room to dump their own trash.
Instead of taking up space that isn’t yours, dispose of refuse responsibly. If the load is recyclable please take the time that would have been spent finding a discrete dumping site to drive to the KAB Recycling Center at 107 ½ Cheyenne Ave. in Alliance. Our facility is open 8a.m. - 3 p.m,. Monday through Friday. The trailers are marked with their respective materials and we have black containers in the alley on the east side of the building if you have larger items or do not wish to empty the contents of bags into the trailers. For information call the office at 308-762-1729.