recycling problems

[gookalockgeek.livejournal.com]

I live in Somerville (though not in Davis Square) and I'm having an issue with my trash/recycling. Last night my landlord showed up at my door and yelled at me for having cardboard boxes and paper bags full of recycling next to my recycling bin, claiming that he has been repeatedly fined for this by the city of Somerville. He demanded that we throw all our recycling in the trash to avoid this. We complied because he is scary and was in our building unannounced and had caught us off guard.

This morning, I cleaned up the 6 bags of trash my neighbors had thrown on the curb (most likely what he is actually being fined for) and put them in trash cans. Then I stood at the window and watched the trash truck throw away the contents of not only the several trash cans, but my clearly marked blue "Somerville Recycles" recycling bin.

Has anyone dealt with this problem before? What do I do to stop this? I moved here from Brookline, where you're fined for NOT recycling, and now I am being punished for doing so.

EDIT: I called 311 and reported the issue, but I'm going to leave this up to let people know that their recycling might end up in the dump if they don't pay attention to who is picking it up!

Comments

[misterthorn.livejournal.com]

did 311 have any advice about what to do if one sees recycling getting thrown in with the trash?

[gookalockgeek.livejournal.com]

they said they would report it, that they get new guys sometimes who "don't know what is what" and that's probably why this happened... so i'd say to call 311 if it happens to you.

[jbsegal.livejournal.com]

Sadly, that's what they told me 2-3 weeks ago when my carefully cut-and-tied cardboard was picked up with the trash.

I don't know how long we should give the 'new guys' slack.

[gookalockgeek.livejournal.com]

i agree. i mean, how long does it take to figure out that recycling is recycled and trash is trashed? i don't think this is too much to ask of anyone, no matter how "new".

[pekmez.livejournal.com]

We had that happen to us twice with bundled cardboard. We're lucky that on our street the trash truck comes first thing, around 7am, and the recycling truck comes sometime around noon. So now when we have a cardboard bundle we put it on the porch the night before, and bring it to the curb after the trash truck is done to keep their hands off it.

[gookalockgeek.livejournal.com]

i didn't even think of this, what a dummy! i'll start waiting to bring my recycling out until after the trash people have come and gone.