Old Coot loves recycle Tuesday. Tioga County Courier Article (9/30/2020)

 

The Old Coot supports the Tuesday Afternoon Club.

By Merlin Lessler

 The Tuesday Afternoon Club came by this week, right on schedule (Tuesday afternoon). The first member passed through around two o’clock. He grabbed 2 jars and 1 coffee can full of screws, nuts and bolts and metal odds and ends. An hour later, a second collector peddled in on his bike and picked up a bag full of deposit cans and bottles. A short while later the last of the crew stopped by with a grocery store cart, grumbled about missing the good stuff but did get some electronic equipment that looked like it might still function (it did), leaving the remainder of the recyclables in the red plastic bin for Taylor Garbage to take away the next morning.

 I love this service provided by the Tuesday Afternoon Club. It’s an efficient system all the way around. I get rid of some “redeemable” items – metal to the scrap yard – odds & ends to be sold or used by a member of the group – deposit cans redeemed for cash, all things I’d rather go into the economy of club members, relieving me of the chore of hauling the stuff to redemption facilities. Last week a sofa that we no longer needed went out into the world this way. It sat in the garage for a bit and then left the property after placing a “Free Sofa” sign near the road, pointing to the garage.

 It’s a greatsystem, though some people get upset if someone paws through their garbage can recycle bin. Not me! Why should anyone care if someone is willing to put in the effort to make a few bucks from stuff that we put out to the curb? It’s not like the Tuesday Afternoon gang is sitting around looking for a hand-out. This crew is willing to invest time and effort for a small financial gain, and do us (me) a favor in the process.

 But, the whole thing may be coming to an end, yet another victim of the pandemic. Rumor has it that the County Government may eliminate recycling pick-up from their budget and leave it to each resident to deal with, to pay for and/or find some way to get the recyclables and other junk into the system. Yet, government handling of this process is the perfect and most efficient way to do it. It won’t hurt me if the County ops out of their recycling responsibilities. I’ll figure out a way to deal with the change if that’s the way it goes. But, what about the Tuesday Afternoon Club? They’ll be out of work and surely won’t be able to file for unemployment benefits. Another example of trickle-down economics - where the last drops of the trickle fall on the financially vulnerable sector of society.

Comments? Complaints? Send to – mlessler7@gmail.com