Dear Recycle Lady, We appreciate the articles you provide for The Monroe Watchman. Recently we were sent a link to an NPR article, from an investigative reporter, likely in Oregon. We reviewed this NPR article and were interested that our efforts to clean plastics and send them for recycling may be partly or wholly frustrated if most such plastics are actually sent to landfills. Could this be the case in our area, if it is true in other parts of the country? Perhaps paper, glass, or metal, or minimal packaging, when possible, could be more environmentally responsible. Thank you in advance. — Monroe County Recyclers
Dear Monroe County Recyclers, Thanks for the timely question. Unfortunately, sending collected recyclables to a landfill happens, but not here. You can rest assured that the #1 and #2 plastics collected at the Recycling Center are sold to a reliable dealer. They paid us by the pound and recycle the plastics into clothing, carpets and other bottles. If the dealer can’t use a certain kind of plastic, such as the #1 plastic shells, the Recycling Center does not accept them.
Dear Recycle Lady,
Have you heard about the Bagup biodegradable kitchen trash bags? They may be the answer to the question, “If there are no plastic grocery bags available, what can be used to line my kitchen trash can?” — Biodegradable is Good
Dear Biodegradable is Good,
Thanks for the information on biodegradable kitchen trash bags. Bagup.com says this about the product: “Think tissue box for trash bags! When each kitchen bag is full and ready to toss, an empty one’s right behind it. Our 100% biodegradable product is made in the USA by disabled Americans, the dispensing system is patented, we’re veteran-owned and our shipping is always free. We also offer a biodegradable kitchen bag subscription option, so you never have to worry about ordering again.”
It’s hard to beat a product that is 100% made in America by American veterans and people with disabilities, has free shipping and is good for the environment. I found the bags to be generous in size (24” x 32”), strong and they will decompose in a couple of years; unlike the current plastic bags that take about a hundred years to decompose and do so by becoming microplastics.
Dear Recycle Lady,
In the process of cleaning out my storage files, I have found several old, outdated insurance policies that are very thick and stapled together. Is there a problem with putting thick stacks of stapled papers in the office paper bin for recycling? — Spring Cleaning
Dear Spring Cleaning,
Yes, there are a couple of things you need to check out before putting a really thick, stapled stack of papers in the recycling bin. First of all, be sure the stack is not more than a quarter of an inch thick. If it is more than that, tear off some of the sheets before you put the stack in recycling. Second, check to see if all the pages are acceptable for office paper. If some of the pages are colored, check the back of the page. If one side of a sheet of paper is white, it goes in with office paper. If a sheet of paper is colored on both sides, it goes in with magazines. Red, black, and chartreuse paper always goes in with magazines.
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.
