This article is excellent. it should be widely publicized. We have asked our trash company about our recycling off and on for years, and been told the "pickers" take care of it. We still separate it out for them. We have been highly suspicious and now our thoughts are confirmed. Why can't we on the East End use Nantucket as a model? They have a very strict recycling policy island-wide. We have a similar fragile ecosystem. It is depressing and shocking that no one cares.

A well-written, thoughtfully researched piece. Hooray for thrifty self-haulers recycling and composting.

Great article! And glad that I'm a self hauler!

This is a wonderful report on decades of failed recycling efforts here on Long Island. We only have ourselves to blame for its ineffectiveness for the simple reason that we have not made any effort to change our methods. Everyone else is doing it, why not the East End? Moving away from single-stream hauling will require initiatives by Brookhaven,Southampton and East Hampton Towns. Volunteering as a self-hauler is a failed enterprise. It's like the plastic bag fight. Expecting busy folks to volunteer ...more is a fool's dream. It's time for government action within our local communities. Let's start sorting high-value commodities and make this work for all involved.

Hopefully something good will come of this. Our hauler, who is honest about recycling tells me that he did an experiment in one community. For an extra fee he would do another pick up for recycles. Not enough customers were willing to pay for the service So reality is evident: just wanting 100% recycling is not enough, you have to reach into your pocket or self haul.

Here’s the deal. I paid S&P for several years for separate recycle pickups. Their drivers came only on the “trash” pickup day and put both clearly labeled containers of trash and recyclables in the trash truck (this was observed by guests who stayed one summer, I wasn’t home on week days). When I called to ask why they didn’t come on both days I was told not to worry, it would all get sorted. I was skeptical, cancelled the supposed separate recycle service, and started ...more self-hauling to SH transfer station. This was a good 15 years ago...