Higher Cost of Water May Change How I Recycle

I admit that I am a recycling junkie.  I am compelled to put into my single stream recycling can every little salvageable item that I can. 

And I do it the way the city says I should too.  That is to say that I clean the empty cat food tins, plastic milk containers, and any other soiled item, with water before putting them in the bin.

I must admit that I feel foolish at times rinsing trash before throwing it out.  But these are the rules of the game that I choose to play.

But now that the city is going to , I have to rethink my recycling procedures. 

A friend of mine says that she does not recycle because she refuses to wash her trash.  While I am willing to wash my trash, I am not so sure I am willing to have to pay extra money to do it.

I could keep a second container in the kitchen and place dirty recyclables in it until I do some dishes in the sink.  When I am done the dishes, I can then clean the dirty recyclables in the sink water.  But that sounds like the recycling process is getting unnecessarily complicated.  And besides, I live in a small rowhouse in the city, and I don't really have room for a second trash bin in my kitchen.

I will have to ponder my new reality for a while longer, maybe until the higher water bills start trickling in to my mailbox. 

I hope I don't become one of those people who still recycles the old way - putting out a stack of old newspapers.  That hardly seems worth the effort. 

And I would hate to stop recycling all together.  But then again, I may not be able to afford to continue.