Dear Recycle Lady,
I have the special bags for recycling plastics and aluminum cans. What do I put newspapers, magazines, office paper and steel cans in to have them picked up?
Recycler
Dear Recycler,
Newspapers, magazines, office paper and steel cans all need to be bagged separately. Any kind of bag will do, except a black bag, because black bags will be picked up for trash. An alternative to bagging newspapers is to tie them in a bundle with heavy string. Magazines can also be bundled and tied. When putting out your recycling for curbside pickup, it is a good idea to put all bags and bundles in a separate location from the trash. For example, separate recycling and trash by putting them on opposite sides of the driveway or by putting some space between them. When recycling newspapers, office paper, and especially junk mail, remember to take out the glossy slicks as they will contaminate both recycled newspapers and office paper. I keep a letter opener handy and open each envelope to check for, and remove slicks, before putting it in with office paper.
Dear Recycle Lady,
My hair spray, as well as whipped cream and other products I use, comes in a tall can that appears to be aluminum, and has a plastic aerosol spray top. Can these cans be recycled?
Hair Spray User
Dear Hair Spray User,
Although your aerosol cans look like aluminum, they may or may not be aluminum. Some spray cans are made of aluminum; others are made of another metal. However, regardless of whether the can is aluminum or metal, all aerosol cans are recycled with steel cans.
Dear Recycle Lady,
Do I need to remove staples and tape from cardboard boxes before they can be recycled? Do the boxes need to be flattened?
To Flatten or Not To Flatten
Dear To Flatten Or Not To Flatten,
Thanks for a timely question. Recycling cardboard is really good for the environment. It saves energy, trees and water. Research shows that making new cardboard products using recycled cardboard saves between 25% and 50% energy, uses 70% to 100% less raw materials(trees) and up to 99% less water. It also cuts down on CO2emissions and reduces greenhouse gases. Additionally, recycling cardboard saves landfill space. Staples and tape do not need to be removed before recycling the boxes, however, all packing materials must be removed. For curbside pickup, boxes must be flattened, bundled and tied together or placed in a nonblack bag. The Recycle Center will accept all boxes flattened or not. Smaller boxes, such as toothpaste, cosmetics, and cereal boxes, toilet paper and paper towel rolls, Fed-X and UPS envelopes can all be recycled with cardboard. These smaller boxes can be flattened placed, inside larger boxes to save space.
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.