The Secret Society of Wine Bottle Recyclers

I am sure that it does not come as a surprise to you that ‘wine’ happens to be the favourite tipple of almost every woman you will ever meet… and (for those who can let go of their beer or ‘spoek and diesel), for many men too.  Yes people, we love and celebrate our wine… however with the joy of wine comes … yes… the dreaded empty wine bottle(s).

We are proud of our wines… we know the vintage, whether the grapes were grown on the wet or dry, windy or calm side of the mountain.  We know our wines heritage and lap up the stories of how the wine we drink was made from grapes that came from 620 year old vine roots that were wrapped in damp burlap and stuffed inside a dried prosciutto and smuggled by monks on vespa’s out of Italy in the 1400’s (yes… there were Vespa’s in Italy in the 1400’s … only they had 4 legs, were stubborn and went eeyore eeyore!).

Yes we are wine ‘snobs’ and we invent excuses at every opportunity to indulge.  Wine Clubs, ‘bookless’ Book Clubs, Whatsapp Groups, family outings and holidays are all planned around vineyards and craft wineries … anything that allows us to indulge in our favourite pastime!

While we love our wine cellars, our wine books and our wine everything, the empty wine bottles however leave us feeling… well… like we ‘more than likely’ over indulged.  Truly, while there is little sadder than an empty wine bottle(s)… this is only eclipsed by the ever so slightly mortified owner who has to get ‘rid of the mounting evidence’.

Enter ‘The Secret Society of Wine Bottle RECYCLERS!  Recycling… a lovely word designed to make us all feel better about our favourite habit.  Truth be told, we love to recycle because it would be far too mortifying to expect the garbage service to pick up the mounting evidence of our indulgence.  So we recycle… but recycling comes with it’s own perils!

As a wine lover myself, I have joined ‘The Secret Society of Wine Bottle Recyclers’!  We are a funny bunch, some proud and strong, some shy and retiring… and some who do it for ‘the cause’.  You get the sheepish members who only recycle at night so that no-one can see how many dead soldiers they contribute to the pile.  Then there are the loud and proud, who pile their expensive boxes of empty wine bottles outside the recycle bin, so the public can view and admire their impeccable and expensive taste.  And yes, there are the suburb hoppers, who recycle outside of their suburb in the hopes that they don’t bump into someone they know.  I have even heard of the ‘illegal dumpers’.  This is a very bad crowd… who wait until their neighbours have put out their garbage… and then drop their wine bottles into the neighbours garbage thus deflecting the blame and shame.  As I said before, horrible, horrible crowd!

And then there is me!  I love my wine and am not ashamed of the fact that I drink a very common dry ‘extra light!  Added to that, I am a loud and proud recycler.  Yes I do it ‘for the cause’, but also because I absolutely LOVE the opportunity and the release I get from smashing glass bottles with no negative consequence (maybe, just maybe, there is Greek somewhere in my lineage!).  Why pay for therapy when the recycle has the same ‘smashing’ benefits?

So folks, if we are going to save our planet, our city and our own quality of life, don’t throw those bottles in the garbage.  Join us (The Secret Society of Wine, Whiskey, Brandy, Beer, Gin….. Bottle Recyclers)!  Not only is it good for the planet… it is also therapeutic and good for the soul!

Article:  Sandy Loppnow