By Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer Published Oct 03, 2007 at 9:14 AM

I used to think it was us. We recycle almost every scrap of paper (some might argue I have a disorder in this area, in fact) and as much plastic and metal as possible (and we compost yard waste and long ago disconnected our downspouts from the city system). 

So, every month when I had to start finding alternate ways to move our recycling along to the next step in the process because our city bin was packed tight, I figured it was my OC recycling issue.

But then a neighbor returned from Florida in spring and within a couple weeks asked if they could put recycling in our bin. Funny, I said, I was going to ask you the same thing. When they're gone, I often put our excess in their bin because it solves my problem and they're happy because it helps make the house look lived in. When they're here, I don't have that option.

Last week, I was chatting with our trash collector and even he said it doesn't seem like a monthly pickup of recycling is enough. He sees bins overflowing all along his route and often has to clear stray recycling off the ground in alleys.

I probably shouldn't suggest more frequent pickups because it will likely only lead to more taxes or taxes "camouflaged" as fees, which will only test my resolve for city living, but maybe there's a happy medium, like a pickup every three weeks instead of monthly.  Or perhaps neighborhood overflow bins could be installed.

We have a pretty small household -- dogs not included -- so I can only wonder what, say, a family of five does with its recycling on a monthly basis. If by week two they have to throw it all out with the trash, and if trash collectors have to clear bags of recycling off the ground in alleys in order to maintain cleanliness, can we really claim to be recycling? 

Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.

He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.

With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.

He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.

In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.

He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.