Thursday, June 28, 2007

Recycling Madness


Our office building is attempting to be the most environmentally friendly building in all of downtown Toronto. (Yeah Building!)

Two days ago I was sitting idly at my desk, checking YOUR blogs, when I was handed a little green box. The next day I came into find my usual trash box, now missing its usual plastic bag, and instead containing instructions that I was now to place all my ‘wet’ garbage into the green box (also without a plastic bag) and my recyclable garbage into the black box. The instructions went into grave details as to what was ok to put into the green box. Also included was the following note:

“To avoid unwanted pests, please be sure to empty and rinse your mini organics bin prior to leaving work each day. The Cleaning contractor is not responsible for emptying or cleaning them.”

We have also been threatened with regular audits of our garbage.

This now means that when I have a cup of tea from the local Starbucks or Tim’s (What ever tickles your fancy) I must now put my tea bag into the green box, and my cup into the black box, my straw into the brown box and then conscientiously empty my green ‘stinky box’ at the end of the day, and wash it as well.

Seriously?

This is worse that living at home, where I get regularly audited by my father. I am all for saving the environment and what not, but all this work at work has struck me as a smidge ridiculous.

Also I am scared of the garbage auditors. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have a ‘not so’ secret loathing for the auditing function. And garbage auditors would have to be the bottom of the heap. How horrible would it be to end up on some worse ‘recycler in the building’ list?? Thus I am now saving my garbage to the end of the day and dropping it off at the corner garbage box.

I am still recycling paper….(Yeah CP!)

18 comments:

Jdid said...

what a brilliant idea! i'm sure productivity at your workplace will now go through the roof. NOT

Jumbie said...

Hmm, you failed to mention WHERE you empty the green bin.. is it in the chute at the end of the hall where all the mess mingles anyway?

Crankyputz said...

Jumbie, you empty the green bin in the kitchen all the way at the other end of the hall, very out of the way (that sounds rather lazy doesn't it?)

Dee said...

amazing.

So, how's that new apartment coming along?

Gooders Girl said...

LOL well I would rather that than this!

My green efforts are regarded as liberal communist bull crap! All I wanna do is organise our trash into paper, bottles and cans!

Anonymous said...

I temped at a corporation in New York once where there were strict recycling rules, with a three bin system similar to yours. One day I stayed late and noticed the cleaners emptying all three bins into the SAME large bin they were pushing around. :( I couldn't believe it.

In London if you get caught putting your "personal" garbage in the corner garbage bin you get a huge fine. That's what they use all those cameras for.

Jay said...

This is why we should be putting more government money into building a working flux capacitor. All garbage goes in, fusion-based time travelling hilarity comes out.

Adrian said...

you have to empty one of the bins yourself and wash it? lol I don't see that flying too well with some of my coworkers.

The OE said...

I'm going to look into starting an investigation into the whole green box thing. If it should happen that I cannot reveal details for reasons of National security I apologize in advance.

Anonymous said...

different colour boxes and audits of garbage??? Somehow that just sound wrong. It means you'll be spending the day sorting garbage instead of doing the work you get paid to do.

Miz JJ said...

That sounds nice and inefficient. You sure you do not work in goverment.

Unknown said...

LOL garbage audits! Well I admit it's annoying to have to separate your garbage, but I guess it is an effort to save our planet...however small of an effort it is. I know that wouldn't work in Jamaica, we too damn indisciplined down there.

Anonymous said...

Hehe. I was going to ask the same question as Jumbie. I would save my garbage as well and empty it where the cleaners empty it. Not into the 'double dumping' plus washing bit at all.

But come one girl, think how much better you'll feel knowing that you're doing your little bit to save the planet. Think how toss-free your sleep will be. :)

Anonymous said...

I was about to say, that must be one stank box...and for everyone else around you too...ugh.

Garbage auditors! LOL!!

bitsandgiggles said...

Uh. I see stinky green box disaster...

Eddo said...

Ugh. Our world is so backwards, we spend more time taking care of the world and the planet than we do on the people who live in/on it.

Radmila said...

Next on the agenda...litterless lunches. You will soon be required to take your garbage home with you.

You know what I hate?
Corporate whoring masked as 'environmentally responsible'. How much do you suppose your company is saving in waste management costs by having employees do this?

How many just won't eat at their desks anymore so that they don't have to deal with the nasty little green box?

What happens to you as an employee if don't please the waste auditor? What are the consequences?

Eh, don't listen to me...I'm a cynic.

Anonymous said...

Ironically I've spent my first week at the new job just trying to get a recycling and a regular bin. *sigh* And here u are with bins overflowing (no pun intended).

You are hilarious! (sorry 'bout this weekend...will link u on email)