With a trunk full of old newspapers, Sandy residents Edwin and Marje Nordquist roamed around the city looking for an empty recycling bin - or even one that was half empty.
Driving up and down streets, the couple spotted several bins - all of which were filled or spilling over with paper goods."I must've gone to half a dozen places in this area," Edwin Nordquist said. "As you drive around you see they're all full.
Discouraged, the Nordquists almost gave up their quest until they came across a bin near 700 East and 9000 South.
"It wasn't quite full of newspapers, but it also had chunks of metal in it," said Nordquist, after discovering a metal bedframe in the bin and finally deciding to dump his newspapers anyway.
After this exasperating experience, Nordquist said, "I've just about given up. I can't figure out why, if they want us to recycle papers, why they aren't emptied."
The Nordquists may be an example of other ecology-conscious Sandy citizens who want to recycle but are discouraged because they are unable to find an empty bin.
"It just kind of bugs me that I can't find a place to put them," said Nordquist, who believes that recycling companies may suffer negative repercussions if they fail to empty the bins.
However, a representative of one recycling company says that its 28 bins in Sandy City are emptied up to four times a month.
"Most of Sandy is picked up once a week, or at least once every two weeks," said Sandy Dennison, program coordinator for Utah Recycling, a company based in South Salt Lake that has bins dispersed throughout Sandy's vacant lots and near shopping areas, churches, grocery stores or elementary schools.
But she admits the possibility that bins are overflowing because of an unexpected situation - the combination of an increased awareness of the need to recycle along with a lack of manpower.
Because of increased public awareness about the environment, bins are "filling up so fast. The public support in this is wonderful," she said.
However only one truck driver is employed to empty bins and is working six days a week to keep up with the demand, she added.
As company officials cope in this transition period by changing aspects of its program, they ask citizens to inform them of full bins by calling 972-0200.
Another Salt Lake City-based recycling company doesn't place bins in Sandy City.
Instead, the company has trailers that are manned full time, said Duane Ware, convenience-center supervisor in charge of 13 trailers across the state. Once the trailer is filled, the paper or aluminum is generally picked up once a week, Ware said.
Officials of both recycling companies say they are appreciative of people like the Nordquists who recycle and hope Uthans continue.