Dear Recycle Lady,
Are scented perfume advertisements that come in the mail recyclable? What about address labels?
Junk Mail Detective
Dear Junk Mail Detective,
Yes, scented perfume advertisements can be recycled. They are considered “stinky” slicks and recycled with magazines. Address labels are a different story. They can’t be recycled because of the adhesive on the back. This adhesive is strong enough for the labels to get stuck to the equipment and cause problems. Fortunately, the adhesive on address labels is different from the adhesive on Post-it notes: Post-it notes are 100% recyclable. Pastel colored Post-it notes go with office paper. Bright Post-its go with magazines.
Dear Recycle Lady,
At one time you said that if plastic film didn’t have the recycle symbol with a #2 or #4 on it to throw it out. What about dry-cleaning bags and newspaper sleeves? Both Kroger’s and Walmart’s recycle bins take these bags for recycling.
Puzzled
Dear Puzzled,
Good catch. Dry-cleaning bags and newspaper sleeves are both recyclable even though neither one has a recycle symbol on it. Both bags are made of a thin, clear plastic known as plastic film or low-density polyethylene (LDPE); a petroleum-based product that is not bio-degradable.Newspaper sleeves, trash bags, poly mailers, zip-top bags, and grocery bags, are all made of the same LDPE plastic and are recyclable at Kroger, Walmart, and Lowe’s. Additional LDPE products include plastic wraps around paper plates, napkins, bathroom tissue, diapers and more. These plastic films are recycled into juice boxes, plastic baggies, and wire insulation. According to http://recyclenation, Green Garmento now makes reusable bags for drycleaners to share with their customers. Let’s hope all dry cleaners begin using these new bags as more than 300 million pounds of dry-cleaning bags are sent to U.S. landfills every year.
Dear Recycle Lady,
What is green methanol? Is it good or bad?
Need Information
Dear Need information,
According to freetheocean.com, green methanol is a cutting-edge fuel extracted from food wastes in landfills. This process is similar to the one at the Raleigh County landfill that generates enough electricity to heat 2,400 homes in the Beckley area using processed methane captured from their landfill. The shipping giant Maersk is a pioneer in green fuel. In 2024, Maersk embarked on its first voyage from South Korea to Denmark powered by green methanol. It was the world’s first carbon-neutral methanol fueled container ship, accords to esgroday.com. This eco-friendly fuel can reduce emissions from the ship by 65% – 70%. Kudos to Maersk that has ordered that 25 more of their current vessels be retrofitted to run on green methanol. Globally, shipping companies are working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce air pollution in ports as they contribute approximately a billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually. Using green methanol is one way they can reduce their carbon footprint.
Good News: The city of San Diego, CA, is closing visitor access to two seaside areas where sea lions breed. This will protect the animals from people who have sometimes moved too close while trying to take photos or interact with sea lion pups.
Have questions about recycling, or interesting information about recycling? Send questions or requests Recyclelady7@gmail.com. Dear Recycle Lady is sponsored jointly by the Greenbrier Recycling Center and Greenworks Recycling.
