Recycling is hard, let's go dumping!

Recycling should take no more time than it does to throw away normal refuse. But to many, a bin is a bin is a bin. Doesn't matter what you're not supposed to trash in it, so long as they see the gaping maw of the receptacle consume it, well it must be valid mustn't it? No. It never really matters where you live, you'll always find people too lazy to stack the right piles.

"What's happening is people are putting their garbage into the sites," said [Aaron Praus, Dickinson's solid waste manager]. "When materials are mixed in with the cardboard that we ship to St. Paul, they pull samples and if they find too much garbage, they can reject the entire load."

Sailer, Linda. "City establishes recycling collection sites: Garbage mixed in with recyclables" The Dickinson Press 29 May 2011

But hey, it's not like the council asks you to pay for such a privilege in sorting out your trash. If you're in that kind of town, you're pretty lucky. Or not bothering to read what's actually printed on your council tax rates. Then again, moving all this garbage out of sight, out of mind has to incur some costs. So who's going to bear it?

Solid Waste Management Director Donald Long is telling elected officials he thinks it's "imperative" for Durham to emulate other North Carolina cities and begin charging residents a monthly collection fee for garbage and recycling.

Gronberg, Ray. "Monthly garbage, recycling fee sought" The Herald Sun 30 May 2011

Now imagine having to walk through your city, suburb or town with the wafting scales of rotting garbage rough-licking your nostrils. For nearly a whole wretched week no less.

The six-day old garbage crisis in Panaji ended on Saturday evening as the CCP started lifting the garbage and transporting it to Taleigao. "The compost at Taleigao is being removed, while construction of a compound wall at the site has also started," Parekh added. Piles of wastes in the city market were growing bigger and the stink more unbearable as the garbage crisis entered its sixth day.

"Finally, garbage collection starts in Panaji city" The Times of India 29 May 2011

Making the Earth bloat doesn't come free people. Recycling makes things a little easier. Even better when you can reduce or reuse beforehand.

Diminishing returns of recycled urine

Dehydration is a killer. And dying from thirst is no fun. But when you're desperate for the sweet juice of hydration, urine can sometimes substitute its place just fine.

You really have to watch out for the taste at first. It's something sharp and not easy to stomach. In a pinch, it's what you'll have to do if you can't even find standing water that you might want to boil. Or if you can't wring out a cactus.

[...] Did you know that urine is sterile? That's right. You can drink it.

Tyler Durden, Fight Club

On the other wet hand, there's got to be a limit as to how many times you can recycle and refill your own cup with the urine that's gone through once before.

The law of diminishing returns applies here. And if you started out with clean, clear pee, it won't be much longer when the thirst strikes. Kidneys will hurt if you abuse them too much. Or that's just a little bit of flavour in your yellowing drink.

How many times do you think you can drink your own before it really starts to affect you? More than socially that is. What other people drink at the dinner table is of their own concern. Drunks are still invited to parties, it doesn't stop them.