Our new community is very rural, and there is no free recycle pick up. We lived in Hawaii the last 6 years and they provided us with a huge blue recycle bin that was picked up weekly for free. Now, here in NC, there is a recycle truck that can come by, but the weekly/monthly fee is ridiculous. It’s not really feasible for us to transport bins to a recycle center, as we don’t have vehicles large enough. I miss how easy it was to recycle at our last house, so I was hoping there was a good recycling program here, but there isn’t. Any suggestions...or just pay the ridiculous pick up fee?

I am calling the City I lie in and find out if there is a recycling center close by. Thanks for the information on the importance of recycling.

Do recycling centers actually generate a profit?

My city, Hollywood, FL, has a great recycling program. They give residents a magnet with a map of the city, color-coded that shows when their pick-up days are. Example, my blue recycable bin goes out on Mondays with paper, glass AND plastics. The magnet & city website describes what's allowed (like no pizza boxes). Then on Thursdays, you can put the blue bin out with lawn cuttings, small co-mingle appliances or items (pillow/hand-mixers etc). Also on Thursdays you can put out a stove, or couch for a co-mingle pick up; but there is a cubic foot maximum, and can only e put out the night before. We have alot of alley-ways in our city which helps, and being in SouthEast Florida this works year round.

There's a charger that CAN recharge alkaline batteries if there's still a tiny amount of juice in them. It takes a while, though, because it has to operate at such a low wattage.