Recycle, Reschmycle: Garbage is Garbage, Right?

On several occasions in the past year I have witnessed, or I should say I thought I witnessed Charleston City sanitation workers dumping recycle bins into the same garbage truck where they where throwing other trash bags. I really just thought I was misunderstanding what I was seeing because surely to goodness the City wouldn't ask us to separate out or recyclables and then just indiscriminately toss them in the landfill would they? Would they?

Today's Gazette has the following "Reader's Voice" blurb:

"I just observed the city of Charleston trash collectors empty all of the recycling bins on my block of Virginia Street into the regular garbage truck with all other garbage. I had a feeling this was happening but to actually see it makes me sad. I will continue to wash all plastic and cans and stack all paper neatly into my bin and hope that our mayor will take care of this problem."

Now I would normally be the first one to laugh off a "Reader's Voice" or a Daily Mail "Vent Line" complaint, but when it corroborates what I have seen happen I might give it a little credence.

The City's Refuse Collection website says "Recycling occurs on each regular trash day." Hmmm.

I think it would be interesting for anyone who reads this to pay attention and report back as a comment if you see this happening in your neighborhood. With all of the work that community groups and government agencies do to promote recycling it would be a shame if the war was being lost on the front lines in the name of expedience, but it would not surprise me if it is happening.