Recycle Bin Full? Maybe Someone Needs an Alcohol Class

Can a society that encourages people to be eco-friendly really help you identify a drinking problem? As a counselor for both in class and online alcohol classes, I often discuss this question with my students. I ask them to examine what is in their recycle bins and discover what their recycling behavior says about them.

I remember the first time I was physically aware of my alcohol problem. It was taking a walk before work. It was trash and curbside recycling day.

As I walked through my neighborhood I couldn't help but notice what was in my neighbor's recycling bins.

Some of my neighbors were big soda drinkers; some really liked Corona; some were big wine drinkers. The curbside recycling bins were a glimpse into the personal consumption lives of my neighbors.

What Does Your Recycle Bin Say About You?

What did my recycle bin say about me? One of my biggest problems was having too many recyclable bottles every week.

It had never occurred to me that others did not have the same problem. However, many of the bins were nearly empty. I had neighbors who drank a couple of beers and cans of pop per week. I mean, who are these people?

Back to my recycle bin the day I discovered I had a drinking problem. Of course, I had occasionally worried that I might have a problem, but really I was in my early 20s so I always thought I'd stop later before it became a real problem.

The Recycle Bin

As usual I had to have the bottles at the top of the pyramid, with newspapers and aluminum cans making up the bottom tiers. Bottles always have to be in top because there are just too many to fit inside that tiny recycle bin!

As usual my recycle bin was overflowing. In terms of alcoholic beverages, there were 47 beer bottles, three bottles of pinot noir and a fifth of vodka. I had the audacity to line up my recycles and take a photo. That photo is framed on the wall of my office.

While I could not sort through and count the alcohol bottles in my neighbor's bins I can assure you my bin had the most! It was totally embarrassing.

Road to Perdition

My recycle bin made me realize I was drinking far more than my neighbors. In college such a display would have been an image of glory. As a 30-something year-old man and father of three, it was shameful. I most-definitely was well on the road to perdition.

This had not been an unusual week. That is what I was drinking all the time. Even if you count that some of the beers and booze was consumed by friends coming over, my recycle bin stood out.

Did my neighbors know how much I drank? For the following few weeks I would hide my refuse from my neighbors. I couldn't leave my dirty little lie out there for all to see. I began throwing the bottles into a bag in the garage and would drop them at city-wide recycling centers.

Now I knew I had a problem and was trying to hide it from everyone else. Of course, eventually, like most problems, my drinking came to a head and I decided to quit drinking once and for all.

If your recycle bin is an embarrassment, do yourself a favor and cut back or quit drinking. If you prefer to maintain total anonymity there are online alcohol classes as well.

Mike Miller is the Education Director at Online Alcohol Class, a website specializing on online alcohol awareness classes and minor in possession classes.