A Can of Nonchalance

There are a lot of soda drinkers in my office but no recycling program.  So last month I started one.  I drove to the Municiple Waste Management offices, picked up a bound brick of flat boxes, returned to the office and announced our triumphant new initiative to do our part for the environment. I was met with cheers and backslaps - they were thrilled to "go green"!  I painstakingly built the boxes with their unmistakable triangle of rolling green arrows, lined them with bags I had purchased myself, mapped out the most convenient sites and placed them so they were within ten feet of every person in the workspace.  I placed a list in the kitchen of recyclable vs. non-recyclable items. My heart felt valiant and full as I surveyed my work - we cared!
Four weeks have gone by.  Each morning I arrive early and make the rounds, emptying the little boxes into one large box which I take home when full and place in my own recycling bin.  Each morning my heart empties a little, too.  While the supply of sodas in the fridge keeps dwindling, I'm not finding many cans in the bins. What I do find is:
 - Candy wrappers, both foil and plastic (non-recyclable, says the list).
 - Damp lollypop sticks with one discolored end (non-recyclable).
 - Thin, soiled films from microwaveable meals (non-recyclable - specifically mentioned on the list).
 - Red Solo cups (non-recyclable, on the list)
 - Foam coffee cups (non-recyclable)
 - Sticky notes, usually torn to small bits (recyclable!  And a total pain to remove from the bag).
 - Styrofoam food containers with dessicated lunch remains (non-recyclable).
 - Reams of paperwork that clearly violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).  There are dedicated shredding bins for these, for which we pay a service fee, but they're so far away - at least 30 feet!
 - Paper clips (probably recyclable, but definitely reusable).

I was right - we do care. But for convenience, not conservation.  My heart feels worn and saggy.