Dear Recycle Lady,
I took some confidential papers to the Recycling Center last week and they assured me those papers were kept in a safe place until they were shredded. I wanted to see the shredding process to be sure they would be protected. Why would they not permit me to see them shredded?
Shredder Wannabe
Dear Shredder Wannabe,
There are several pieces of heavy equipment involved in the shredding and baling of shredded papers. There are large pieces of machinery in operation as well as the staff moving around who are operating the machinery. Thus, it is not safe for anyone not an employee of the Recycling Center to be on the floor when paper is being shredded and baled. Please rest assured that any confidential documents brought to the Recycling Center are locked in a windowless room that is only accessed by employees when adding documents or shredding them. After confidential documents are shredded, they are mixed with other shredded material that has been brought to the center, and then everything is baled. The baling process creates pieces of paper so small and so tightly packed that it would be impossible for anyone to put them back together.
Dear Recycle Lady,
I just replaced four stove eye drip pans. The pans that I removed are all metal, but they are somewhat rusted. Can they be recycled? What about a metal wheelbarrow? Is it too large to be recycled?
Cook & Gardener
Dear Cook & Gardener,
Yes, your metal stove eye drip pans can be recycled, even though they are rusty. Your old metal wheelbarrow can be recycled, also. The Recycling Center accepts all items made of metal, except for extremely large items like a car. Take your drip pans and wheelbarrow to the Recycle Center and look for the sign on the right-hand side of the building pointing to aluminum can recycling. Push the indicated button for recycling aluminum cans and someone will come to assist you.
Kudos To When Pigs Fly for hosting the ninth annual Giving Back Day dinner and feeding 881 guests a delicious free Thanksgiving dinner. They were supported by local businesses, churches and individuals who donated food and cash, as well as all the volunteers that helped prepare, cook, serve, deliver, and cleanup. Not only was everyone busy with the dinner, they were also busy recycling cardboard boxes that supplies came in, as well as steel cans and anything else that could be recycled. Special kudos to Barnwood Builders for their donation of all the compostable, environmentally friendly food containers. What a wonderful example of people helping people, as well as helping the environment!
Good News: Coral reefs are being restored on a massive scale. Over 40 countries, including the United States, have made a commitment to give coral reefs a bright future by pledging $12 billion to restore them. The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) is leading the efforts to give the 48,262 square miles of coral reefs a new lease on life. Their goal is to restore 30% of coral reefs by 2030. Coral reefs aren’t just pretty to look at. They are home to one-fourth of all marine species and a lifeline for over a million people, according to www.freetheocean.com/journal/celebrating-a-win-as-the-world-rallies-for-coral-reefs.
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.
