Podcast Summary: Holmberg's Morning Sickness (98KUPD)

Episode: 12-09-25 – Emailers For and Against John's New Littering Campaign To Expose And Reform Recycling And Trip Might Be Onboard
Date: December 9, 2025
Host(s): John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, Dick Toledo
Guest/Contributor: Trip Reeb, Matthew (City of Phoenix Solid Waste), Luke (Icon Equipment)

Episode Overview

In this episode, John Holmberg and the Morning Sickness crew dive headfirst into John's "littering campaign"—a tongue-in-cheek movement sparked by skepticism about the effectiveness of recycling. They read feedback from listeners (especially Matthew from the Phoenix Solid Waste Department), debate the realities and ironies of recycling, and recount workplace anecdotes reflecting on changing societal attitudes toward trash. The episode’s tone is irreverent and comedic but touches on genuine frustrations and generational differences regarding environmentalism and recycling.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Concert Promo and Listener Interaction

• Before diving into the main content, John briefly highlights the Offspring as the week’s featured artist for the KUPD concert pass contest (01:19-03:13).
• They note the vast array of concert tickets included, emphasizing the prize's value.

2. John’s “Littering Campaign” & Skepticism about Recycling

• Origin of the Campaign: Inspired by documentaries on global pollution and recycling inefficacy, John cheekily calls for more “littering” to expose flaws in the system (03:22-05:13).
  • “My campaign for littering, which is I think going incredibly well…" – John Holmberg (03:22)
  • He references the “Boston Tea Partying” of environmental practices, suggesting the current approach isn't working.
• Listener Feedback: Phil from Sedona writes in about mountain biking and leaving a popped bike tube in a tree:
  • “Merry Christmas, hippies. That's right. He littered…” (03:26)

3. Email from Matthew (City of Phoenix Solid Waste)

• Matthew provides background about Phoenix’s recycling operations and attempts to educate residents (05:13-07:07).
  • “I'm also a very long time listener… I can assure you that recycling is a massive operation for the city of Phoenix…” – Matthew (Email read by John, 05:13)
• John mocks the title “Solid Waste” and jokes about having someone from the city inspect his trash:
  • “If you ever knock on my door to educate me about what's in my trash, I'm putting one through you.” – John (05:54)

4. Trip Reeb's Entrance – The Office Drops the Pretense

• Trip walks in and casually admits the station hasn't recycled in years, leading to a group realization:
  • “We canceled our recycling years ago. Susie, cut that out. No kidding. Three years ago.” – Trip Reeb (07:11)
• Staff anecdote about cleaning staff tossing all bins into the same dumpster—emphasizing recycling at the station is performative (07:54-08:23).

5. Reflections on Generational Littering Norms

• John, Trip, and others fondly (and comically) recall childhood days when littering was common and acceptable:
  • “I can remember as a child driving on the Garden State Freeway... my mom throwing stuff out the window. Come on.” – Trip (08:23)
  • “We loved littering. My dad – nothing out the window.” – John (08:31)
• Allude to the famous “crying Indian” PSA and note society was “better off” before the current wave of recycling policies (09:20).

6. Further Ribbing of the “Solid Waste” Job Title

• The crew riffs on the awkwardness of the term “Solid Waste Supervisor." John questions if he referees household “dumps” at home (12:09-13:07).
  • “Worst card I've ever seen in my life, by the way, Matthew. I won't give his last name. Says Solid Waste Supervisor on his signature. Like, that's gross.”

7. Station Holiday Party & Continuing Litter Jokes

• John and Brady joke about Trip dumping trash off the balcony onto the lower floors for the holidays (13:50-14:02).

8. Anecdote: The Stuck Scissor Lift (“Snorkel’) in John’s Yard

• John recounts a problematic DIY project—burying a heavy scissor lift in his backyard and needing professional help to retrieve it (14:02-17:35).
• Trip shows up to spectate, and ultimately the project is completed through makeshift solutions (“a bunch of garden stakes” and decorative rocks).
  • “Now you get a bunch of garden stakes and you drive as many as you need into the ground in front of that pole until it no longer leans. Mission accomplished.” (17:35)

9. Culminating Litter Rebellion & Sign-Off

• The irreverence peaks as Trip throws trash on the ground, citing his mother's habits:
  • “And Tripp came by and he goes, huh. I'm a little bit impressed. Except for that one looks like it's doing a Heil Hitler. And then he threw his trash in the ground and he left. Pretty impressive.” (17:35-18:07)
  • “Now it's for you, mom.” (18:20)
  • “That's why he's got that convertible. Just throws it straight up in the air. Gone.” (18:31)
• John closes by reasserting his (joking) crusade against recycling:
  • “Litter immediately. No matter what that guy from solid waste says. And he seems like a nice, well thought out man, but I've made up my mind on this. It's crap.” (18:45)

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• “I'm Boston Tea Partying this entire environmental nonsense that they forced down our throats. Do it differently.”
  – John Holmberg (04:16)

• Matthew’s Email:
  – “I can assure you that recycling is a massive operation for the city of Phoenix...personnel/sorters who stand by the conveyor belts and pick out and sort. I don't believe you.”
  – (05:29, read by John)

• Trip drops the big reveal
  – “We canceled our recycling years ago...Three years ago!”
  – Trip Reeb (07:11)

• On workplace recycling norms:
  – “I've been here when the cleaning crew's here. And they just dump everything in the same can...No, we don't recycle because we don't care.”
  – John/Trip (08:23)

• Littering nostalgia:
  – “I can remember as a child...my mom throwing stuff...out the window.”
  – Trip (08:38)
  – “We loved littering. My dad – nothing out the window.”
  – John (08:41)

• The “crying Indian” reference:
  – "There's a reason a crying Indian showed up..."
  – John (11:09)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 03:22 — John launches into the “littering campaign” and critiques recycling
• 05:13 — Reading and reacting to Matthew’s Solid Waste email
• 07:07 — Trip Reeb admits the station canceled recycling
• 08:23 — Staff stories about actually not recycling at the office
• 09:20 — Nostalgic humor about pre-recycling era and famous anti-littering campaigns
• 13:50 — Jokes about littering and dumping trash for the station's holiday party
• 14:02-17:35 — DIY disaster story with the scissor lift and Trip spectating
• 18:45 — John reiterates anti-recycling campaign in his trademark over-the-top tone

Summary Tone

The episode is irreverent, sarcastic, and full of playful banter. The crew uses hyperbole and nostalgia to mock modern recycling efforts, mixing in real listener responses and tongue-in-cheek calls for rebellion. Underneath, there’s a sense of genuine skepticism, but most of the content is exaggerated for comedic effect.

For listeners and non-listeners alike, this episode is a comedic ride through workplace and personal reflections on why recycling policy and practice might not always be what they seem—and why sometimes, it just feels good to throw things out the window, just like Mom used to do.