Dear Recycle Lady

Dear Recycle Lady,

Why are the plastic tags and ties on bread different colors? 

Just Curious

Dear Just Curious,

According to Tasting Tables, the plastic tags and ties on bread tell you the day of the week the bread was baked on. Blue tags and ties indicate the bread was baked on Monday, green tags for Tuesday, red tags for Thursday, white tags for Friday, and yellow tags for Saturday. Bread is not baked on Wednesdays and Sundays in order to give bread bakers two days off a week. Some bread companies don’t use colored tags but put a date on a tag instead. This date indicates the sell by date, not the baked date. While these bread tags and ties, which are not recyclable, were designed to help store personnel with restocking, they can be helpful to buyers as well. Here’s a helpful hint for remembering which color represents which day – the colors are in alphabetical order!

Dear Recycle Lady,

What is the difference between compost and mulch?

To Compost or To Mulch

Dear To Compost or To Mulch,

Compost and mulch are often used interchangeably, as if they were two different words for the same thing. However, there is a difference between compost and mulch. While compost can be used as mulch and mulch can have the some of the same effect as compost on your soil, they are not the same. Composting is the nature’s way of recycling organic materials into a natural fertilizer that, when mixed into the soil, adds nutrients and enriches the soil. Mulch is generally put on top of the soil to limit weed growth and to help soil retain moisture. For more information on 20 things you can put in your backyard compost pile, see https://www.installitdirect.com/learn/what-can-i-compost-in-my-backyard/. For more information on mulch, see https://www.homequestionsanswered.com/what-is-mulch.htm.

Dear Recycle Lady,

The WV Legislature is considering a bill on advanced recycling. What is advanced recycling? 

Need More Information

Dear Need More Information,

Advanced recycling is the process of creating or manufacturing new plastics or chemicals out of recycled plastics. House Bill 4084 was passed by the House and sent to the Energy and Manufacturing Committee. This bill would clarify that the state does not consider advanced recycling to be part of solid waste management or disposal. Hopefully, it will foster interest in the state as a manufacturing site.

Dear Readers,

Need a reason not to accept plastic utensils with takeout orders? Here’s a good one. Laid end-to-end, the number of disposable plastic utensils used in the U.S. every year (36 billion) would wrap around the globe 139 times. A great reason to carry a reusable utensil set with you for eating take-out food when away from home!

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.