Your Questions About Recycling
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Filed under Recycling Q & A
Donald asks…
Are Kirkland Kitchen garbage bags recyclable? ?
The box says 100% recyclable but I assume since there’s no number that would refer to the cardboard box?!
My roommate and I recycle as much we can and I’ve seen a similar looking bag in the recycling dumpster, it would be great if they were but I’m doubting it.
The Expert answers:
I believe all the different plastic bags are. You can call your city utility department and they can tell you. When I put items into the recycling bin, I separate them out according to, cardboard, junk mail, glass, plastic. They told me to do that. I try to recycle everything since this world hasn’t done it for up-teen years and things have gotten so out of hand. 🙂
Steven asks…
Plastic Bags: What can I use for my kitchen garbage can?
With this Sunday being Earth Day, my wife and I are really trying to cut down on our plastic bag consumption. For the most part we shop at Trader Joe’s, so we normally will use paper bags. We also are purchasing the canvas bags at some local grocers. Our problem is our small kitchen garbage can. We use plastic grocery bags as a can liner since we don’t have much trash and we don’t want to use a huge hefty bags for such a small amount. We pretty much recycle most of our items and use our food disposal. There are some items that can’t be recycled or placed in the disposal, so what should I use to dispose of these items without the use of plastic bags? stuff like q-tips, bottle caps, hygiene products, used Kleenex and paper napkins, meat bones, Styrofoam, dirt from a vacuum cleaner, etc.
Please help!
The Expert answers:
My mom uses an old milk crate. The paperbag fits nicely in it. It also fits under the kitchen sink so others dont have to see it.
Paul asks…
Are there garbage bags that are “green”?
a little new to the whole green thing. i am currently using regular plastic garbage bags that are made of petroleum. i would like to cut down on my oil dependency and wonder if there is a garbage bag that is durable but breaks down in the landfill. i only really use about 1 garbage bag a week because i recycle so much and compost a ton too, so cost really isn’t the issue. anything out there for us earth friendly folk?
onyx: read the above post, i recycle and compost so much that i only use 1 garbage bag a week…. you don’t deserve the points for answering ….
The Expert answers:
Biobag is available at Whole Foods and is intended for lawn trash or kitchen trash. It’s a bag made from corn that’s intended to break down much quicker than regular plastic.
Also check out ecosafe plastics.
Http://usa.ecosafeplastics.com/
They have a whole line of various biodegradable bags.
The only thing is that you shouldn’t put non-biodegradable waste into biodegradeable bags. That would actually be harming the environment more, because a plastic bag is inert but what’s in it might not be. Paper/plant products are biodegradeable; metals, glass, and plastics aren’t.
Hope that helps!
Donna asks…
How much does monthly recycling contribute to the environment?
I planned on starting to recycle every day items (cans, paper, bottles, etc) around my house instead of being wasteful and throwing them away. This was just so I could feel like I was helping the environment out a little bit. However, I wanted to know just how useful one person’s monthly recyclables are to helping the environment. Like 2 full garbage bags worth per month.
The Expert answers:
The obvious answer is…it depends. It depends how much of what item you’re recycling.
Recycling plastic is arguably the most important recycling you can do in terms of environmental impact because plastics are not biodegradable. They never decompose. Furthermore, plastics are petroleum-based–they come from the same raw materials we use for fuel.
Recycling plastic has at least three benefits: It keeps non-biodegradable materials out of landfills and waterways, it provides already-existing materials for packaging, and it reduces the amount of raw materials extracted from the ground.
Having said that, EVERYTHING you recycle has a large positive impact on the environment. Even just a month’s worth!
Maria asks…
What is the most trusted bio-degradable bags ?
Hi everyone,
I’ve been doing this project at the university, it’s about recycling garbage and to do that we have to find 100% bio-degradable bags .
Help me to find the most suitable one , ’cause by that you’ll be helping reduce pollution and global warming too .
thank you very much
The Expert answers:
Any natural fiber bag is biodegradable. Cotton, jute, wool, leather, and many others are truly biodegradable if not over treated when made.
But the so called biodegradable plastics bags are not in fact biodegradable. They are formed at high temperatures with a mix of carbon and plastic. In a few years the bags fall apart as the carbon degrades out of the plastic. But the plastic is still there, un-degraded but in tiny strands. The problem with the plastic becomes too small to see easily but is just as bad, possibly worse.
Only strong sunlight can break up plastic over time. SOme work is being done to develop microbes capable of breaking down plastic but so far nothing near useful has come out.
Jenny asks…
How do I stop my neighbor from dumping their garbage into my garbage can?
My fellow co-worker is having this problem. His neighbor dumped 5 bags of garbage into his garbage and recycle bins and it smells terrible. How should he prevent them from doing this again?
I live in San Jose, so they don’t charge extra for the amount of garbage you have.
The Expert answers:
I suppose you should go over and talk to them nicely – try to be friendly, cause that’s how your most likely to get what you want. Ask them the same way you would ask a friend, hey man, why’d you do that? But, if the neighbor continues to be an *ss… My evil twin suggests that you take the garbage out of the can and place it on said neighbor’s doorstep. Then put your can away in the garage. If this does not get the message across, my evil twin suggests that you dump the bag out on his doorstep next time. :->
Mark asks…
What lifestyle changes did you encounter when graduating college?
I just graduated recently and I’m noticing some things:
– I have a car, and no longer take public transportation
– I use garbage bags instead recycling grocery bags
– I drink spring water and always have tropicana in the fridge
– I’ve upgraded the brands of cosmetics/shampoos that I buy
– I tip at Starbucks
– I order fancy Starbucks drinks instead of just plain coffee
– I own a brand new laptop instead of a 1999 bulky PC
– I go shopping and actually buy stuff without feeling too guilty
– I actually change my wardrobe throughout the week
– I no longer have rommates
– I stopped eating fast food and I have no problem paying $30 for a meal
Can you think of any other ones?
The Expert answers:
Yes, my ex wife ran off with a felony batterer right after I started grad school
– I took responsibility for my four animals
– I tried to prevent my cheating ex from being murdered
– I pulled my stuff together to finish my first year of classes
– I rescued my ex-wife despite how she had destroyed my life
– I have been happy for her completing her own education
– I have maintained myself without compromise in spite of everything.
Peace.
Mandy asks…
Do we still need the bottle deposit system now that everyone has a recycle bin?
In many states, recycling is now very common and very convenient, sometimes even cheaper. Where I live, you pay for city garbage bags, but recycling is free; we have a 45% recycling rate. I would just as soon not pay the deposit and recycle beer and soda bottles in my recycle bin. But I might be overlooking important details…
Opinions?
Thanks!
The Expert answers:
Different thing altogether. Deposit bottles go back to be reused for the same product they originally held. Recycled glass becomes another glass item completely.
Lisa asks…
Recycling of plastic wrap-can it be done & if so, why is it not?
In my municipality, we have blue boxes the contents of which are collected every week. We also have green boxes, collected every week, the contents processed into organic fertilizer. I notice when I take a garbage bag to the garage (the black bags are collected once every two weeks) that most of it consists of the plastic wrap or packaging which comes off food items especially. Our municipality does not recycle it. Can it be recycled? (our plastic grocery bags are gradually being replaced by reusable cloth ones, so fewer end up in the garbage) And I am really happy that our municipality takes such an interest in recycling.
The Expert answers:
Plastic wrap is often contaminated with food so is not suitable for recycling. Municipalities are making allowances for plastic that is clean though. Contact your local program and request they accept the stuff. If enough people request it, they’ll start doing it.
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