Dear Recycle Lady,
Last week you wrote that frozen food boxes could be recycled. What about food that is frozen in bags?
Need More Information
Dear Need More Information,
Frozen food bags are a type of flexible packaging that is not recyclable. Flexible packaging, sometimes called plastic pouches, is made of several layers of different types of plastic and is often lined with aluminum. Additionally, some of the bags are sprayed with a plastic polymer, which is a wax-like substance that protects the contents of the bag from freezer burn. These non-recyclable bags often feel thick or durable. Frozen food bags that are shiny or make a crinkly, crunchy sound are not recyclable either.
Dear Recycle Lady,
What bin do old phone books go in? I have several types of calendars, some slick and some paper. Which bin do they go in?
Too Many Calendars
Dear Too Many Calendars,
Old phone books go in the magazine/slick bin, regardless of their size or what kind of paper is used. However, calendars take a little more inspection. If the front/back of the calendar, or the pages, are glossy, it recycles with magazines/slicks, unless the front has a plastic coating. Check for this by making a tear in the paper. If it tears easily, it doesn’t have plastic coating. If the calendar is made of paper that looks and feels like office paper, it recycles with office paper. Some calendars have a metal ring binding that must be removed before recycling. Old calendars can also be used for many craft projects. Check out the website, https://livingonthecheap.com/recuse-recycle-old-calendar/ for 17 ways to reuse old calendars.
Dear Recycle Lady,
What a great Scout project! Not only are they collecting plastic film for which they receive a sustainable bench, they are keeping 1,000 pounds of plastic out of the landfill. Besides Amy’s, where can the plastic film be deposited?
Want to Help
Dear Want to Help,
Thanks for wanting to help the Scouts obtain their goal of 1,000 pounds of plastic film by putting your plastic film in one of the bins. There are four deposit bins in Lewisburg and one in Ronceverte. The Lewisburg locations are Amy’s Market at 990 Jefferson Street North, Lewisburg United Methodist Church at 1113 Washington Street East, St. James Episcopal Church off the parking lot on Court St., and AutoZone at 1446 Jefferson Street North. The fifth deposit bin is located on the porch of the Recycle Center in Ronceverte at 450 Monroe Avenue.
Good News: Four new emperor penguin colonies have been found in Antarctica, bringing the number of known emperor penguin colonies to 66.
Have questions about recycling, or interesting information about recycling? Send questions or requests to grecycle450@gmail.com.Dear Recycle Lady is sponsored jointly by the Greenbrier Recycling Center and Greenworks Recycling.
