Accidental frustration

A conversation about Recycling. (wherein my snarky commentary was very effectively withheld and is now being released in italic form)

Roommate: "Hey" (holds up cardboard microwave dinner box). "Things like this need to go in the recycling."

Me: (wondering exactly what "like this" means to her. Like... rectangular? Like... Marie Callender brand?). "O.K. well, I'm pretty hardcore about recycling, I don't usually throw much in the trash."

Roommate: "Well our garbage was overflowing and our recycling was empty this past week."

Me: "Noted. I think you need to talk to blank, and blank. I'm pretty sure that belongs to them" (They seem to have grown up in a remote village not familiar with recycling. Probably somewhere in California).

Roommate: "Ok, well, I'm just telling everyone."

Me: "Did you tell blank and blank?" (you know, the Aliens not familiar with the concept of recycle, reduce, reuse? And save the earth? Captain Planet would be so ashamed...)

Roommate: "I'm not blaming you. I'm just telling everyone."

Me: "Right. I got that. But did you tell blank and blank yet?" (because I don't trust for one second that this way anything more than a ploy to disturb my slumber)

Roommate: "I'm telling everyone."

Me: (WHO DARES DISTURB MY SLUMBER??? Oh, it's you. Again.) "Ohhhhkeeeee..... thanks...."

This is about where I gave up. I still want to know what "like this" means. Because, you know, if we're only allowed to recycle rectangular objects from this point on, I'm going to have to get creative.