In 2021, one Redditor found themself in a frustrating position when they said their apartment, which had initially come with curbside recycling, was suddenly cut off from the service.
Recycling has been the most well-known way to help the planet for decades, but in recent years, critics have begun to question its usefulness, especially for plastic. Still, it's one of the most straightforward ways an ordinary person can make a difference, and recent studies say it's worth the cost.
But apparently, this Redditor's landlord didn't see it that way. "He discontinued the recycling pick-up to my building to save money," said the user.
According to the original poster, the landlord is decent outside of this issue. "My landlord is actually a pretty good landlord by landlord standards," they said. "He is nice, doesn't raise the rent often, and generally minds his own business."
That's one reason this sudden move was shocking and annoying. "He didn't tell anyone he was doing it either," said the user. "I found out after two weeks of the truck not emptying my bin. I had to call my local waste management to find out."
The user felt helpless without a nearby recycling option. "Now I have to throw away all of my recyclables because the local recycling centers in my area only take scrap metal," they said. "I have been recycling all my life and I feel bad having to throw everything away."
Luckily, there are more ways than recycling for individuals to keep garbage out of landfills. For one, they can use their food waste to make compost, a valuable fertilizer. Residents can even save money by growing their own produce.
Another way to throw out less trash is to be careful what you buy, replacing many cheap, disposable items with a few long-lasting ones. It takes an up-front investment in each purchase, but it's an effective way to save money in the long run while protecting the planet.
Still, it's understandable that the original poster would be frustrated with having a convenient recycling option taken away. One commenter agreed: "Just-nice-enough landlords with faults are the worst. Cannot even be really mad at them for whatever b******* they may pull every few months."
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