Dear Recycle Lady

Dear Recycle Lady,
What are Global Organic Textile Standards?
A New Classification

Dear A New Classification,
Global Organic Textile Standards, or GOTS, spells out the environmental and toxicological criteria that organic products must meet to be certified organic. Only textile products that contain a minimum of 70% organic fibers and chemicals that meet certain environmental and toxicological criteria can become GOTS certified. The use of toxic chemicals for processing is prohibited, as is child labor. There are also strong labor provisions. GOTS protects the workers, the consumers, and the environment. For more information, Google Global organic textile products, Inc.

Dear Recycle Lady,
I use duplicate checks for my business. Can the paper that duplicates checks as they are written be recycled?
Duplicate Check User

Dear Duplicate Check User,
Good catch. The carbon copies of your checks are not recyclable locally. They go in the trash. Since they contain several pieces of your information (name, address, phone number, etc.) you would be wise to dispose of them carefully as this information could be used to steal your identity. Before putting them in the trash, cut off crucial information, cut the duplicate checks into small pieces, or shred them. Your bank may provide shredding as a service. Shredded carbon copies of checks must not be included in shredded paper that goes to the Recycling Center as they would be a contaminate.

Dear Recycle Lady,
What do these symbols below mean? I saw them on a box that arrived in the mail.
More New Symbols

Dear More New Symbols.
Conscious shoppers today want greener options for packaging, so symbols are needed to make sustainable options recognizable. The symbols above were created by the trade associations that represent manufacturers of North American cardboard packaging. They identify packaging that contains recyclable corrugated cardboard. However, not all cardboard boxes are recyclable. For example, ice cream boxes with a wax coating are not recyclable and cannot display the GOTS symbol. While the Corrugated Recycles symbol indicates that the packaging can be recycled, it doesn’t mean that the contents are recyclable.

Good News! Project Mum, (‘mum’ represents Mother Nature in Japan), is repurposing ocean plastic and discarded fishing gear into stunning dining tables with designs inspired by the ocean. They are turning harmful ocean plastic into beautiful furniture. (fto.com)Have questions about recycling, or interesting information about recycling? Send questions or requests to recyclelady@greenbrier-swa.com. Dear Recycle Lady is sponsored jointly by the Greenbrier Recycling Center and Greenworks Recycling.