A Little Trash Talkin...

Generally speaking of course, most Americans could learn from the Germans about recycling. Here, there at least sixteen ways to sort your trash. When we "in processed" we had several briefings and one was dedicated to the finer art of sorting ones trash.

There was a gentleman in the orientation who could not, or would not grasp the concept, he thought it was to much trouble. Someone needed to just tell him how much it would cost if he put everything in one bin. Ever so patiently the briefer tried to explain the process again. If he followed the guidelines for sorting trash then what was left would be placed in a gray bin, when that bin is collected, it is lifted up on a truck, a computer weighs the garbage and stores the information. The actual fee is based on a per household calculation already being charged in his "nebenkosten" that is paid to his landlord along with rent. At the end of the year a reconciliation is done you either pay the difference or you are reimbursed.

Well, that did not sit well with him and he voiced his displeasure. How much per pound or kilo am I going to be charged is all he wanted to know, not how to sort the trash. The briefer was ever so patient trying to explain it to him. I felt sorry for her, he was not making her job any easier. I decided to put my two cents in so I chimed in with "sir, really it is not that hard, I am from the Pacific Northwest where recycling is very similar and if you just sort according to the chart, what is left is your actual trash trash, I promise you it is not that difficult!" He then glared at me, and just then the nice Major sitting to my right said to him, it's okay Chaplain Smith lets just say we move on to the next item and come back to this later. I rolled my eyes and elbowed Terry, Chaplain indeed!

It looks a little complicated but really its not scary! Here is what the trash schedule for our village looks like.

love and miss you all