Recycle Lady: Sizes, Terms and Metal Fasteners

Dear Recycle Lady,

Are there any size restrictions on items to be recycled? Too Large or Too Small

Dear Too Large or Too Small,

Great question. Large items are generally not a problem, but there definitely are problems with recycling very small size items. As a general rule, don’t recycle anything smaller than a credit card. Small items, such as bottle caps, paper clips, and coffee pods are so small that they can jam the recycling equipment during baling. They also can become a contaminant. Bottles or cans smaller than 3 inches high are not recyclable for the same reason.

Before items are shipped out of the Recycling Center, they go down a conveyor belt and into a machine where they are compacted into a tight bale. It is during this process that small items fall out or fall into parts of the machinery that bring it to a halt. The search is on then to determine the cause or to find the small item that has created a big time-consuming and wasteful problem.

A Recycling Center in Montgomery County, Maryland reported that these small items can shut down machines 10–15 times a day causing lost time for staff. Very small pieces of paper won’t cause a problem for the machinery, but time must be spend picking them up off the floor as they fall out during processing.

Dear Recycle Lady,

Should the metal fastener on a brown paper mailer be removed before recycling it with cardboard? My guess is that it should be. Good Guesser

Dear Good Guesser,

You are correct. Before recycling a brown paper mailer with cardboard, the metal prongs should be removed from the back of the envelope. The ring part on the flap of the envelope may or may not need to be removed. If it is metal, remove it. If the hole is just backed with a small piece of paper glued on, removal is not necessary.

Dear Recycle Lady,

What is Upcycling? Is it the same as recycling? Another Unfamiliar Term 

Dear Another Unfamiliar Term,

Upcycling is a special kind of recycling. When an item is upcycled, it is reused or recycled into a product that has a higher value than the value of the original item; or it is used to create something entirely new. Most recycling is downcycling or making a lower grade version of the same product. An example of Upcycling is making new shoes from recycled plastic bottles, while an example of downcycling is making lower quality plastic bottles from recycled plastic bottles. Upcycling supports a circular economy in which goods are used and reused many times instead of getting thrown out after one use. A circular economy is more sustainable as it uses what we have instead of creating new products out of new materials. It also reduces landfill wastes and minimizes carbon emissions.

Dear Readers,

According to a study published in Nature, human-made materials now outweigh living things for the first time ever. Humans have added approximately 1.1 teratonnes (1.1 teratonnes = 1,212,542,442,016.8 tons, or a little over one trillion tons) of concrete, metal, plastic, buildings, machines, etc. to the Earth’s biomass. On December 6, 2020, Earth was at the crossover point. We have now exceeded it. Please protect our Earth. Recycle everything you can. Reuse what you have. Reduce purchases and waste. Every small step will have a big impact over time.

Have questions about recycling or interesting information about recycling? Send questions or requests to Recyclelady7@gmail.com. Dear Recycle Lady is sponsored jointly by the Greenbrier Recycling Center and Greenworks Recycling.