Sustainable living

A marriage and two serious relationships have foundered - he wonders if it's his consuming environmental ethic. He speaks of "the work I do and the pain it creates," adding, "I know I'm incredibly intense."

He has despaired of finding romance online. A computer recently matched him up with a smoking, meat-eating conservative.

But here's another contradiction: Crater, the recycler who wants recycling to become obsolete, is looking for a new place, one with room to handle more stuff and brainstorm more projects.

He would have an area for research and development, a store, a restaurant, sustainable "permaculture" gardens, and space for "micro enterprise concepts using renewable energy." He's posted the plans online and is trolling for support.

In his own life, his own waste stream, he thinks he can do better. He thinks maybe he can get down to four pounds a year. But it's getting difficult.

"I still can't figure out," he says, "what to do with those little silica things - the packs they put in vitamin bottles."

Recycling Services

Recycling Services Inc. is located near the intersection of Routes 422 and 100, on the Chester County side of the Schuylkill.

Address: 365 Elm St., Pottstown 19465

Information: 610-323-8545 or www.recyclingservices.org

Hours: Tuesdays and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Fee: $8 per car