BEDFORD, N.Y. -- These days I can't pass a garbage pile without sticking my head and most of my torso into the can. Usually I find something irresistible. 

At the end of my shared driveway, for instance, is a recycling bin that’s a constant source of useful flotsam like empty ice cream cartons that can be turned into flats to start seeds, glass pickle jars that make ant-proof food ...