Dear Recycle Lady

Dear Recycle Lady,

Yesterday I purchased a Barbie doll for my daughter. Almost the entire front of the box was plastic so the doll could be seen. When box was opened, I noticed that the plastic in the front panel was hard. Must this piece of hard plastic be removed before the box is recycled?

Cardboard Recycler

Dear Cardboard Recycler,

Yes, the hard plastic panel on the front of the box must be removed before putting the box in with cardboard recyclables. Otherwise, it could contaminate an entire load of recyclable cardboard. Large cities often have the equipment to recycle hard or rigid plastics, but unfortunately, that equipment is not available locally. Soft, single use plastics can be recycled at Kroger, Wal-Mart, and Lowe’s.

Dear Recycle Lady,

Although this isn’t a clear match for your column, it might help some readers. Years ago, your grandmother probably stored cottage cheese and sour cream in containers upside down in the refrigerator to length their usable life. People should still be doing this today as placing the container upside down creates a vacuum that stifles the growth of bacteria. A friend has been storing his cottage cheese and sour cream upside down for many years and says it really works.

Cheerful Cook 

Dear Cheerful Cook,

Thanks for the information about better ways to store food. Knowing ways to extend the life of food is always helpful, especially today with the rising cost of food.

Dear Recycle Lady,

It greatly distresses me to have to throw #1 plastic clam shells and berry boxes in the trash. Since these containers all are #1 plastics and #1 plastics are recyclable, why can’t clam shells and berry boxes be recycled? 

Want to Recycle Them

Dear Wants to Recycle Them,

According to https://bettermeetsreality.com/reasons-why-some-plastic-cant-be-recycled, there are several reasons why some plastics can’t be recycled. First, the chemical makeup of the plastic. For example, the chlorine atoms in PVC make it hard to recycle. Second, the item has already been recycled too many times. Recycling shortens, and weakens the fibers, thus causing the loss of quality and integrity. Third, one type of plastic can’t be mixed with other types of plastics, for example, hard plastics and soft plastics. Fourth, the product design makes it hard to recycle. For example, a sports drink can have three different and incompatible types of plastic: the bottle, the lid, and the shrink-wrapped film. Fifth, recycling isn’t economically feasible or profitable as determined by market demand and value of the recycled product. Sixth, recycling facilities need upgrading or changed.  Last, but not least, is the contamination of plastics by food waste or scraps.

Kudos to Lands’ End for making the insulation for one of their coats out of recycled bottles

Interesting information: More detailed maps exist for the planet, Mars, than for the ocean floor of the Earth. According towww.freetheocean.com, orbiting satellites have been creating detailed maps of Mars for the past 19 years. Yet, more than 80% of the Earth’s ocean floor has never been mapped or explored!

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.