I can't. I won't even take a can out of the garbage. To me, if it touches the garbage, it's gone to me forever. I used to get furious and embarrassed by my father-in-law picking through their garbage for things I threw away that were recyclable.
Which is embarrassing in itself, my shame and disgust. We waste an incredible amount of items, us first world country citizens. Anyone watched The Book of Eli and remember what he said about how we threw away items that they were killing each other for? I can imagine that would be true if ever a world catastrophe happened.
When I lived in the city, this was only exemplified. There were people we called "bottle bums" who made a living out of dumpster diving for cans. They walked around town with a shopping cart and would load them up.
