I work in an office of 24 people. One person has to worry about recycling oil and fluids. Another person has to worry about neon light bulbs, batteries. Still another person must deal with paper and trash. This is above and beyond their regular duties. Recycling responsibility currently is left to field offices, ill-equipped and with little or no system in place - other than unfunded directives on dealing with recyclables and "hazardous waste." If there were a slick, self-sustaining GSA recycling system in place with field offices in each major urban area, the federal government could collect and recycle materials like nobody's business. Savings would be in reduced trash consumption and reduced responsibilities for the office; and revenue would be generated from recyclables, with the money going right back into government coffers. The government shouldn't be paying companies to take our old used oil, paper, glass, plastics - they should be paying the government.

There are numerous advantages to this idea. One result would be relief for the federal offices. The onus of all the "hazardous waste" such as lightbulbs, batteries, old computer monitors, etc. will be taken off the fed office and GSA will deal with it. Also, offices wouldn't need to worry about inventorying all the crap that they really want to get rid of but don't because they don't know the proper disposal procedures (or the procedures are too convoluted or difficult that they avoid doing it). Such a system would also minimize costly storage space required for all the excess crap that the office otherwise doesn't know what to do with.

GSA should be handling all recycling and it would be a win-win situation for the government and thus, the taxpayer.