Sometimes We Don’t Have All the Information
The recycling pick up rules were recently changed in my town. Items that had been part of what could be included in the recycling bins, were suddenly excluded. This caused angst for a number of the town residents, (my own wife included, who is avidly concerned about the environment). The changes actually discouraged her a great deal, and is a topic that I don’t even bring up for discussion around her.
One of the items excluded from the recycling was shredded paper, even if it was enclosed in clear bags. Before the changes had come, I had identified a number of documents I wanted/needed to shred as they contained personal information for myself and/or my clients. The new recycling instructions did not stop us from shredding the material, but my wife was opposed to throwing the shredded material in the trash, as instructed. She indicated that until we found alternatives that allowed us to get the shredded paper recycled, we would suspend our document shredding, and look for a better alternative for that item.
Over the last several years, given the services I provide my clients in the area of career search and acclimation, I have become a fairly decent researcher. I told my wife I would see if there were options for us at the town or county level, (perhaps targeted recycled days toward shredding), of which we could avail ourselves. While I did not immediately find that for which I was looking, I did see a series of comments about the new changes.
Some residents were as disappointed in them as my wife. Other residents brought up issues that I had never realized about the recycling process. One of them was that it was not a profitable business, and as such more and more American firms were pulling out of the business. It had caught my eye when the changes were made that they were driven by standards provided from China. I must admit I was cynical myself when I did see this. Why would standards from China impact little old Maplewood, NJ?
From seeing the trail of comments, my understanding started to clear. What I learned was that the hauler I would see on my neighborhood street was actually a subcontractor for a larger recycling firm. The larger firm would take the batches it provided, and be paid for them by a company in China, that would use the materials in the making of packaging and bottling materials for products it supported. If the material given to the companies in China had recycling items they did not want, such batches were considered “contaminated.” That too had confused me. I had seen about batches not being accepted for being “contaminated,” but was wondering what was causing this. While the materials themselves that were considered causing the “contamination” were safe in and of themselves, in the scheme of the overall recycling process that are town was a part, they were not considered acceptable.
I now have a clearer understanding at what led to the change in recyclable standards for my community. Would that make it any more acceptable for those against the changes? For the most part the likely answer to that is NO. And, that is perfectly understandable, and those feeling that way, (such as my wife), are entitled to their feelings.
It further made me realize all the times that I and others can become very upset over decisions which are made. And, that upset can remain and linger, especially if one does not have a complete picture of what led to that decision. Yes, even with all the facts, the disappointment and non-acceptance of a decision may not go away, particular if one disagrees with the criteria for making it. However, while not fostering acceptance, it can at least provide more understanding of how one may choose to approach a situation that does not meet their standards, but for which they may now have to change their ways or approach to get completed. For example, I am sure I will find a method of how to handle paper shredding and discarding that will meet my needs, and still make my wife feel we have disposed of the paper in the most ecological manner possible.
