The Slice: There’s more than one way to put a cap on recycling

Steve Peck answered a Slice question.

“I think the guys who pick up our recycle stuff know a lot about our lifestyle,” he wrote.

“I’m sure they think I’m a bit odd. Besides the microbrew and Washington wine bottles, I have a custom cover for my blue bin.”

Here’s the story.

“As you may remember, we had record snowfall winters a couple of years ago. I’d been putting a board over my bin in the bad weather. There were also windy days when everyone’s recycling was blowing all over my street. So I added a rock to the board.

“That worked fine until the trash folks took the board. When that happened, I knew I needed a better replacement. It had to be obvious as an intentional cover in hope that it would not be taken away.”

So Peck did some research. He found that one bin manufacturer makes an optional cover.

But he feared that rough handling by the trash guys might render that useless before long.

“I kept looking and found two makers of bin covers that use a shower-cap concept. One maker is in Canada, the other is in Pennsylvania. I bought from the U.S. seller; and it works great.”

The guy who sold him the bin-cover told Peck it was his first sale to someone in Washington.

“He wanted me to be his local agent. But I have a full-time job and too little time for the things I like to do as it is.

“However, I do feel it is a great innovation and a boon to recycling as well as a way to keep litter controlled.”

And surely the guys who empty the bins have to appreciate it on snowy or rainy days.

Now Peck is left with just one more question.

“Am I alone in my obsession for protecting my recycling?”

Three indicators that you may have, in fact, stopped rockin’: 1. You remember when people said “color TV.” 2. You remember “airmail stamps.” 3. You remember when people treated any long-distance call over two minutes as financially ruinous.

Today’s Slice question: Do you have concerns about our tap water?