/rant on.

As kids, probably 30 years ago, there was a recycling program in Richmond Hill. I can remember cutting the lids off of the tin cans and gleefully squashing them with my feet on my mother's linoleum floor. These along with glass bottles and bundled newspaper were then taken to a barn on the edge of town where, who were most likely hippies, ran a volunteer recycling program.

Not that I am the most environmentally friendly creature. I've left the car running all night because I knew I was going out again in the morning. Hey, I think nothing of flying across Europe now just because it's cheap. However, you can see that the urge to separate waste was ingrained early. I will even make the odd purchasing decision for the packaging, not just the shiny label on the box.

So maybe my ire is out of place, or I'm making mountains out of molehills. Or maybe I'm relying too heavily on metaphors. But my recycling box has been stolen. The recycling box that took two attempts and two months for the local council to finally deliver is gone. Vanished on recycling day.

So, as you would, I investigate. By that I mean ask the neighbours. It turns out that, instead of leaving the green box just inside the gate, where it doesn't block anyone's way, it is supposed to be left on the sidewalk. This is in spite of the instructions on the Camden Council website. We were apparently warned the week before with a cheeky note left by the muppets that pick up the recycling.

The punishmennt for my transgression is that I no longer am allowed the privilege of participating in the recycling program. This in a time when the lead story in the free newspaper, that gets thrown away by the millions, everyday is about global warming. The TV news falls all over themselves to terrify with stories of climate change and the internet is clogged with websites that allow one to calculate one's carbon footprint.

I am currently writing a stiffly worded note to the local authorities to bring my green box home. And I have a good mind to write it on an old style styrofoam Big Mac container. At least I would be recycling it.

/rant off.