Dear Recycle Lady,
I have been tearing off the corner of stapled papers before putting them in recycling. Is it possible to recycle paper with staples in it?
Interested Recycler
Dear Interested Recycler,
Yes, paper can be recycled with staples left in it. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “paper mills that process recovered paper are set up to remove common contaminants such as staples, from the pulped paper.” Therefore, it is not necessary to remove staples before recycling the paper. However, all paper clips MUST be removed as they can tear up the belt during processing.
Dear Recycle Lady,
My husband is getting ready to change the oil in our cars. Is there somewhere locally that accepts used motor oil?
Concerned for the Environment
Dear Concerned,
Yes, fortunately there is a local collection station. In our area used oil can be taken to the Advance Auto Parts store in Fairlea (304-645-5088), located at 47 Seneca Trail S, (US Route 219 South) close to where Save-A-Lot used to be. Motor oil never wears out, it just gets dirty, so it can be recycled, refined, and used again. A single quart of motor oil, if disposed of improperly, can contaminate up to 2,000,000 gallons of fresh water. Please encourage your husband to take the used motor oil to Advance Auto Parts and thanks for writing.
Dear Recycle Lady,
Are you familiar with the Give Back Box program? It is a great way to get rid of items you no longer need, eliminate clutter, and make a difference in the life of another person. Do you have any additional information about the program?
Pack Boxes
Dear Pack Boxes,
I agree with you. The Give Back Box is a wonderful program. Monkia Wiela founded the Give Back Box program in 2012. When researching to find a use for unused boxes in her warehouse, Wiela discovered that an estimated 11 million tons of clothing, footwear, towels, bedding, drapery, and other textiles ended up in U.S. landfills every year. If you want more details about what inspired the program, go to givebackbox.com. If you are interested in participating in the program, gather items like toys, gently used men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, shoes & handbags, belts, pet items, household items such as bed linens, blankets, pillows, towels, curtains, and rugs. Place them in a box you received from an online order or any sturdy box you already have. Don’t use packing materials, use the items you are shipping as packing material instead. Don’t include any liquids, fragile or dangerous materials. Depending on your interest, the boxes can be shipped to places like Goodwill, Boys and Girls Clubs, Salvation Army, Homeless Shelters, or Animal Shelters. Boxes can be shipped by UPS or the U.S. Postal Service at no charge as pre-paid shipping labels are available at givebackbox.com. However, heavy boxes have a shipping cost.
Good News: New Jersey is the first state in the nation to include climate change education across all content areas. These standards are designed to prepare students to understand how and why climate change happens, the impact it has on our local and global communities, and how to act in sustainable ways.(earthday.org)
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.
