Does Berkeley County want its residents to recycle? I was surprised when I moved here a year and a half ago to find that there's no curbside recycling.

It was months before I found out about the recycle station at the Goose Creek Department of Public Works, but then I began separating my recyclables and taking them there weekly (on my grocery shopping trip).  

I thought I was being a responsible citizen, and it felt good.

However, the dumpster for cardboard has a narrow opening and ordinary boxes won't fit unless they're broken down. Several times I saw boxes setting on the ground next to it, so I thought nothing of leaving one there, too. Boy, was I wrong! I was fined $55 by the Berkeley County Water and Sanitation Authority for leaving one empty cardboard box sitting next to the recycling dumpster.  

A BCWS official told me there's a sign on the pole that says leaving boxes there is against the law as littering.  He told me further that the $55 fine is a warning because he could have fined me $500.  

What's wrong with this picture? It's not like I'm Arlo Guthrie in "Alice's Restaurant" and dumped a whole truckload of garbage. I left one empty cardboard box at the recycling station next to the dumpster that doesn't take cardboard boxes unless they're broken down.  

Why is the cardboard dumpster there at all when it's that inconvenient?  Does this encourage recycling?  It sure feels like entrapment to me when responsible citizens trying to do the right thing are fined for their efforts.

Recyclers, beware!

Toni Roberts

Goose Creek

Ourgazette.com is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. Ourgazette.com does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not Ourgazette.com. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website.

Users can now build user-to-user connections, follow friends' recent posts, add an avatar that fits their personality, and more. If you have posted here before you'll need to sign up again, or if you've never posted before, start now by reading our terms and conditions, and then signing up below!