wanted: paper grocery bags

[donotforsake.livejournal.com]

Hello - wondering if anyone has an excess of brown paper grocery store bags. Through using my own reusable grocery bags I no longer get these and as far as I know, the only way to recycle paper in Somerville is to put it in a paper bag (which seems ridiculous - please let me know if there is another way!)

Anyway, if anyone in the Davis/Porter area is looking to donate some - that would help my spring cleaning efforts!

Thanks!

Comments

[mzrowan.livejournal.com]

I put my paper either in my blue bin or in a small cardboard box and they take it away just fine.

[donotforsake.livejournal.com]

in a blue bin separate from other recycling?

[mzrowan.livejournal.com]

Yup! I alternate putting out my paper and my plastics/metals.

[donotforsake.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I'll try that this week then (we don't make much other recycling in a week anyway)

[gruene.livejournal.com]

No, you don't have to do that. I just put the paper on one side and the bottles etc. on the other. This is a bit messy, potentially, which could be bad since presumably beer soaked paper is less recyclable. :)

If you want another blue bin, you can just go to the DPW on Franey Road and pick one up.

[jennyelfenmass.livejournal.com]

If I have a lot of paper, I've found tying the bundle with twine works pretty well.

[lac.livejournal.com]

We used to separate everything into bags until the recycling dudes told us we didn't need to bother. So, everything goes in the bin but we do put paper in a bag because it keeps it neater. Everything else is just kind of loose in the bin and they've never not taken it.

[donotforsake.livejournal.com]

interesting, because that's basically "single-stream" which I thought we didn't really have yet (though maybe is being tested in certain wards-http://community.livejournal.com/davis_square/2145041.html)

From the .gov site:
"For mixed papers and cardboard: Place all papers (newspaper, discarded mail or junk mail, envelopes, magazines etc.) in a paper bag. Please flatten cardboard, cut and tie in approximate size of 2’x2’. Place next to recycle bin."
http://www.somervillema.gov/section.cfm?org=Environ&page=108

but it sounds like that's what you're doing anyway by putting it in a paper bag (which is the nexus of my issue - in that I'm out and I refuse to take them from the grocery store just to recycle them).

I'll try putting the paper in it's own bin and see if that works.

[lac.livejournal.com]

I suspect the paper goes into a bag because it would irritate my mom (who does the recycling) otherwise. I am not sure what the official mandate really is, but the recycling dudes don't seem bothered.

[i-leonardo.livejournal.com]

i bought a small office-style trash bin for ~$6 and i put my paper out in that. "staples" even sells them in the recycle-bin blue with the triangular symbol on the side.

[justjess.livejournal.com]

I do have a few paper bags lying around... maybe 3-5? It's not that many, but let me know if it'd help and we can work something out.

[tehlunchbox.livejournal.com]

Worst case, you could bite the bullet and the next time you go shopping get one paper bag... or maybe make one trip and get all paper bags, then you'd be set for a while.

just a thought.

[syntheticnature.livejournal.com]

Through forgetting my reusable grocery bags I have a boatload of brown paper bags cluttering up my kitchen. Let me know if you still want some!

[fenicedautun.livejournal.com]

I have tons and would be happy for you to come and take some away if you wish.

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

The recycling rooms at supermarkets are a good place to find paper and plastic bags.

paper bags

[lovefourpaws.livejournal.com]

Dave's Fresh Pasta usually has some out on the sidewalk-they're nice and roomy, so they can hold tons of paper for recycling day!

[kalimba21.livejournal.com]

I keep twine and a scissors right next to my paper stack and tie them every week. I found long ago that when I used heavy duty paper bags, people would snag them to collect bottles. So I'm used to this now, it's pretty easy.