First off, I apologize for the blurry photo (click to enlarge…if you dare!). I snapped this shot as quickly as humanly possible. It’s hard enough to get along in this world as a “food freak;” the last thing I need is to be spotted out in public taking pictures of trash receptacles!

Throwing away my trash used to be soooooo easy! Not anymore. And I’m the first to admit that I am no match for these new set ups. It literally took me 3 minutes to figure out what to do with my fork – and I’m pretty sure I still got it wrong!

With my extreme food sensitivities it is nearly impossible for me to go out to eat – usually more stressful than it’s worth. So you can imagine my dismay when this additional obstacle greeted me just as I was about to declare my dining experience a success!

Admittedly, I was already feeling intimidated and defeated upon approaching the “recycling center” at this local eating establishment. I was just sure that everyone else knew exactly what to do and that even the slightest hesitation on my part would reveal me as some sort of “un-green,” heartless, waste-producing consumer.

As I neared the bins, I was relieved to see that “hard plastics” clearly belong in the red bin. Awesome! My fork met both of those criteria!

As I reached to deposit my fork, I realized that the sign for this bin also instructed, “Clean materials only. No food.” Ahhhh…..my fork totally still had food on in it. Don’t worry though, I had the fork tightly in my grasp at this point (crisis averted).

But, what to do?? I consulted the guy next to me who informed me that I was not misinterpreting…this bin, indeed, only accepted “clean” plastics.

Alright. Here’s the embarrassing part – I panicked and threw it in the “landfill” bin. And, yes, these recycling set-ups sure do make a person feel guilty for throwing something away….but, hey, I truly wanted to recycle that darn fork…really!

Unfortunately, good intentions don’t count for much with the landfill bin, which went on to taunt me with its sign stating, “Recycling bins are available on the premises.” Yes, thank you; I realize that! But, evidently, I don’t have what it takes to successfully utilize said bins, so here’s my fork. Sorry.

Why not just lick the food off of the fork?!?!? Brilliant! But that didn’t occur to me until it was too late.

So, here’s my suggestion (for what it’s worth). These bins need to join the 21st century. Would it be too much to ask for them to be equipped with scanners that inspect your items and then counsel you on your depositing decision? Just sayin….