Recycling In Höll !

Every first Saturday of the month.

Our part of Burgenland is really jacked up, when it comes to recycling rubbish. It is more than likely the same all over Austria, but I know only our little area's system. Coming from South Africa, where we just put everything outside the front door, it is rather a refreshing, yet arduous change.
( A rather funny blog story about Bob & the rubbish bin, from last year...)

I was just watching a program on CNBC-Trash Inc. which rather disturbingly showed how much rubbish we actually all create. The disturbing part was wondering where it all went ? Seeing this though made me more determined again to be extremely vigilant with recycling rubbish.

Anyway, yesterday we did another Höll run. Each first Saturday of a month, we can take all sorts of rubbish to be recycled free of charge. You know, old sofas, TV's, appliances, building rubble, metals and wood. The first time Bob and I went there, we were totally ignorant of where to put what. Luckily my Mum helped us. Of course the workers there are fabulous at advising and even to help lift the heavy stuff.

By now, Bob and I are almost experts and we always get a friendly " Hello ". But to get to Höll, we need to load the trailer with all the stuff and drive there ( about 7 km ) and of course off load it as well. So normally on that day, Bob and I look like dirty scoundrels, with the oldest of clothes.

We have started our own little tradition, of stopping to get freshly baked bread rolls on our way home. In our village shop, they know ( hopefully ) that we only look like this, because we have just been to Höll...

Well yesterday, after finishing our rubbish run, we drove through to a different village as we needed to put diesel into our car ( Our village is so idyllic and small, that we don't have a petrol station nor a Robot / Traffic light ). On the way, we stopped at a grocers to get the bread rolls.

Bob of course did the manly thing - waited in the car while I did the shopping. Well, I must say, that I did get a few stares. Enough of them to make me explain over and over, that we had just been on a recycling run. Hopefully they believed me !

Knowing, how much effort it is to throw away stuff, I now think twice before buying things. When I was very young, I remember my Mum going shopping in town, on foot and armed with a basket. She went to the baker for bread, the butcher for meat...you get the drift.

Somehow, I think that this type of shopping will make a comeback in popularity. This should have several positive spin-offs: You get to know and support your town / village, you avoid loads of packaging, save on carbon footprint and also in the process help to revive the local shops and neighbourhoods.

Biggi

Bob is getting rid of the Dog-Box !

Always a nice way to meet the Neighbours.