Recycle Lady: plastic panels in cardboard

Dear Recycle Lady,

Must a plastic panel be removed from a small cardboard box before recycling? Cardboard Recycler

Dear Cardboard Recycler,

The more plastic you can remove from cardboard, the better it is. Plastic panels are most often found in boxes that have a panel to allow viewing of a product. They can be easily removed using a pair of heavy-duty scissors or gently pulled out. If the box is predominately plastic, such as a Barbie Doll box, all the plastic must be removed before recycling. Any plastic packaging, such as plastic peanuts or bubble wrap, must also be removed before recycling. Be sure there is no food residue, grease, or oil on the cardboard. Pizza boxes with grease from the pizzas can’t be recycled. Sometimes the top of a pizza box can be recycled if there is no grease on it. Cut the top off the box, recycle it, and put the bottom in the trash. Cardboard milk cartons can’t be recycled either because the cardboard is waxed to prevent the milk from leaking out.

Dear Recycle Lady,

What is a solar battery? Is it recyclable? Is a garden light that is recharged by the sun considered a solar battery? Curious

Dear Curious,

Solar batteries are batteries used for storing energy. The most commonly used solar batteries are the Lithium-Ion-NMC, which are the large solar batteries found in solar panels and electric cars. They can be recycled at the Recycling Center, as can the smaller solar batteries used in cell phones. Very small batteries, such as those found in garden lights, are not considered solar batteries and are not recyclable.

Dear Recycle Lady,

Are there really some worms that eat plastic? Doubting Thomas

Dear Doubting Thomas,

Yes, there are worms that eat plastic. The larvae of the darkling beetle have been nicknamed “superworms,” because they are very large worms and have large appetites. Australian scientists fed polystyrene (Styrofoam) to some of these “superworms” and they ate it. According to the publication, This Week Junior, the researchers found that enzymes in the worms’ guts broke down the plastic into digestible materials. They are studying the process the worms use to break down the plastic and attempting to replicate it. Hopefully, it can be used to help keep polystyrene waste out of oceans and landfills.

Good News: Researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology have invented a biodegradable battery that is printed onto paper. The paper battery could revolutionize single-use electronics, eliminating their environmental impact … and it turns on with droplets of water! (FTO.com)

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.