Buffalo could take a more aggressive stance on recycling, by offering more frequent pick-ups of recycled goods from homes and businesses, adding post collection sorting for commingled trash, and giving businesses a greater say in how trash collection is handled. Recycling is still an after thought for most people in America, they will do it if it convenient and if they don't run out of room in the blue bin. You hear numerous stories of the city workers dumping the blue bin in the truck with the trash, or hear rumors of all trash being commingled when it reaches the transfer station.

Restaurants rarely recycle more than the heavy wine bottles, they throw away tons of plastics, compostable food products, paper, aluminum, etc. This goes beyond the small cafes, if we want change then we need to increase opportunities for recycling and change our approach towards sorting and collection. We make it too easy to throw things into the trash, and sort of hope that people will take the time to recycle. If we increase the number of recycled collections, decrease the size of trash bins and increase the size of recycled bins (maybe a bin large enough for paper, plastic, glass, and metal), and improve opportunities for businesses (more than one dumpster, or daily pick-up of recycled / compostable goods), then this might just work.

having a restaurant myself I would love to figure out a easy way to recycle wine and liquor bottles

Like Queenseyes, I often carry around empty plastic and glass bottles for hours. When I ask about recycling, I often get treated like some kind of nut. Worse yet, I sometimes get: "Uh....... yeah......... sure. we recycle. just give it to me and..." I'm certain those go into the trash.

If it's important enough to people, they'll do it. Yes, we could make it a little easier (such as single stream collection that has recently started in Amherst). And there are ways it could be made easier for businesses , but if it's important enough to business owners, they'll do it also. Sadly, it obviously isn't a priority for many businesses. Of course, if your patronage matters to them, a gentle reminder to the owner that recycling really matters to you might help. Check out http://www.buffalorecycles.com/business.php for tips and help from the city.

Ignorance is rampant in Buffalo when businesses are allowed carte blanche subsudies to take the earth and fill it with wasted glass and plastic bottles. An efficient use of land resources requires the land be used in a way that keeps it the way it was found or better than it was found.

Again why isn't there mandated recycling in Buffalo?

Why isn't there an across the city enforcement of building codes and laws?

Why isn't there noise abatement enforcement?

Why is the City of Buffalo flooded with illegal fireworks every 4th of July? Why didn't the death of Buffalo Firefighter Seguin not result in a stricter suppression of all illegal fireworks neighborhood shows in Buffalo? Why after three homes were burned down in Buffalo last week wasn't a special unit initiated to confiscate and ticket usage of illegal fireworks in every corner of Buffalo? Why is selling thousands of dollars of fireworks only a misdemeanor charge?

These questions were circulating 17 years ago in this city and there has not been a satisfactory and just resolution of these listed problems.

well what happens inside the business is up to them, The city can and does provide recycling containers for businesses who request them. (i assume) because there are some businesses who do regularly use the big green totes for bottles and jars. It would be just up to the restaurant to then setup a system or garbage and recycling containers within their shops to make it easy for their employees to recycle. A good rule of thumb is everywhere you have a garbage can, have a recycling bin also. It becomes very convenient once that is done.

We have the big green recycling totes (they are almost as big as the large blue totes) and use them. all you have to do is ask for them. The city will give you as many as you need. I think some places might not have enough room for the amount of totes they might need. Maybe the city can offer multiple pick-ups per week?

Could not agree more...i wonder tho if municipalities such as towns and counties have the authority to leverage there own sort of deposit on wine bottles and all other beverage containers not covered under NYS's bottle deposit recycling law? If they do have the power then why hasn't Erie county or the city of Buffalo taken the initiative to look into this sort of legislation... the revenue collected could be used to further recycling efforts in the city such as more paper glass and plastic recycling and garbage bins on the streets.

On another note ---Doesn't the city pay a private company for garbage and recycling? Why arent they held accountable for the inadequate recycling job they have been doing?