Riyadh's Recycling Program

While I don't claim to be a model Canadian citizen, I do recycle a good portion of my garbage. And if I so happen to intentionally place a can in the garbage in haste, I feel a twinge of guilt as that bag slides down the garbage chute while I try not to make eye contact with it. I've also recycled some of those evil plastic bags that I collect quietly while all the consciencious recyclers switch to cloth. (http://www.toronto.ca/garbage/bags_and_foam_faq.htm)

Anyways, the first week I was back here in Riyadh I was getting rid of garbage and separated all the paper products, putting them on the side beside our bin, like I normally would. The next night some friends walking by our house with my husband noticed the garbage heap and they all started laughing at it. The hubby asked, "is that how you put out the garbage??" I began a tart reply explaining how the paper products were for recycling, but didn't finish because I suddenly remembered that there is no such thing as recycling here. No recycling you ask, aghast! But what about paper vs. plastic, the 3 R's, David Suzuki, blah blah blah!! I open my arms and say marhaban to the Saudi time warp - we're in the 60's right now for recycling, the 20's with prohibition, and...ha ha...we won't continue that line of thought or my mom will scold me for being careless.