Your Questions About Recycling
by
Filed under Recycling Q & A
Robert asks…
I have been tearing out the plastic window in envelopes before recycling, is this necessary?
The city requires me to separate paper and plastic into two different bins. I have been tearing the plastic windows out of envelopes (you know the kind you get from businesses) before sticking them into the paper bin. Do I even have to do this? And if I do, can I put the plastic window part I rip out into the plastic recycling bin?
The Expert answers:
In our community, they tell us that the plastic is so negligible, that’s its OK to toss those window envelopes in with the regular mixed paper.
It seems that every community has a different recycling program ~ perhaps it would be best if you called your local recycling carrier and asked them directly.
Richard asks…
To the best of my knowledge we do not have plastic recycling facilities who can i complain to?
Should I contact local or national government?
Is there a lobbie group I can contact?
Is the recycling of plastic environmentally sound or does the recycling process create more emissions and or waste than it saves? What about the energy used to recycle, is it less than creating new products. So many things are now not avalable with out plastic wappers, is it viable to go back to using paper/glass etc or are the processes used to make these /recycle these as destructive as the use of plastics?
What is best?
I live in a very rural part of Wales.
Should I contact local or national government?
Is there a lobbie group I can contact?
Is the recycling of plastic environmentally sound or does the recycling process create more emissions and or waste than it saves? What about the energy used to recycle, is it less than creating new products. So many things are now not avalable with out plastic wappers, is it viable to go back to using paper/glass etc or are the processes used to make these /recycle these as destructive as the use of plastics?
What is best?
I live in a very rural part of Wales.
The council only collects the bins no boxes provided for paper tins bottle etc nearest town 15mile where the bottle banks ets are.
The Expert answers:
There are plenty of plastic recycling facilities.
I don’t know where you live but I have a separate bin that is collected that is for plastic to be recycled.
Mark asks…
Ban all the non recycling plastic in Australian?
Are Australians environmental conscience? Why doesn’t the government ban all non-recyclable plastics? Still thousands of tons of plastic are still not recyclable. Did you know for example that Belgium(Europ) can recycle almost 85% of their household wast!! Why can’twe Australia do this?
The Expert answers:
YOU can, buy only plastic that’s recyclable. Others shall follow.
Paul asks…
Recycling plastic in Westchase area of Houston TX?
Where can I find recycling dumpsters for plastic in the Westchase or Memorial neighborhoods? I used to drop it off at the bins behind HEB on Kirkwood and Westheimer, but they’ve been removed. I live in an apartment complex that doesn’t offer curbside recycling.
The Expert answers:
I wish I knew. I used that bin also. I called HEB and they stated it was removed because people were putting trash in it.
Lisa asks…
Recycling-Could you usually put plastic bottles in the same bin as the cans and glass?
My villege is hard to get in touch with, but I live in Lindenhurst, but in general; for those of you who recycle, is that acceptable. My bin says glass and plastic recycling, but I think it is becasue it is an old bin, made before they had the plastics and my town does not give new ones.
I live on Long Island
Actually,, I could get in trouch with them, it is not impossible, but I wanted to know before I do the wrong thing and get fined
The Expert answers:
Well I’m a Packaging major… So I have a lil’ knowledge about this. Yes you can do that but, only if your recycling collection point separates the glass from plastic. I’m pretty sure your facility sorts them out, if they have bins labeled for both materials. That means they sorted plastic from glass before, and they probably still do. If they didn’t, they would let you know.
Sharon asks…
Is it true that if a plastic bottle has a bottle cap the recycling company won’t recycle it?
I heard a rumor that the recycling companies won’t recycle your plastic bottles if there are caps left on them! They’ll just throw them away! Is this true?
The Expert answers:
My understanding is that isn’t true. However, leaving the cap on your bottles can create a bit of a safety hazard to the workers at the material recovery facility that it ends up at. When they bale plastic, they compress it. Under heavy compression, that cap can become a high-velocity projectile (it’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye!). Not to mention, the bottles are generally made of a grade of plastic (#2 HDPE) than the cap. #1 & #2 plastics are about eight times more valuble on the recycling market than #3-7 plastics, thus contamination results in a lower quality material to the eventual buyer.
Maria asks…
Can you get money from recycling plastic or does that only work with aluminum in Idaho?
Does the plastic have to be a bottle or just any plastic. How about glass and paper?
The Expert answers:
Every item made of plastic in recent times has a number inside triangle molded into it. The number identifies the kind of plastic. Not all kinds can be recycled. You will have to ask whether the places that take stuff for recycling will pay anything. Generally they don’t for anything but aluminum, but it varies by local and from year to year.
James asks…
Recycling plastic bottles of water for the first time?
I’m 15 and i just decided i wanted to start recycling to help out the environment, I have collected about 70 plastic bottles in the past month and i have absolutley no idea what so ever of what i should do.. my family doesnt have a recycling bin because we own a restraunt and just use their garbage can to put our trash in. haha i think thats illegal but yeahh anyways help! i’m clueless
The Expert answers:
Well maybe your resturant should recycle.
That would help ALOT
and most schools have recycling bins in their parking lots that are free for the public to but recyclable items in.
And you can also call your city and ask were to get recycle.
Or even better you can start your own recycling program in your community and save alot of trees
its worth it 😀
Linda asks…
Can i get money from recycling plastic the same way i recycle aluminum cans?
I was just wondering, because i have so many more plastic bottles than aluminum.
The Expert answers:
I think generally the answer is no. Different materials for recycling have different values and the value of plastic for recycling is so low that it only adds up to a worthwhile figure when the quantities are enormous.
But it is still important to recycle plastic because of the damage that discarded plastic can do. It takes hundreds of years to decompose and in the meantime disfigures the environment and is damaging to wild life.
Better even than recycling is to minimise the quantities that you buy. For example instead of buying bottled water use one of your spare bottles and fill it with water from your tap (faucet). Such water is generally perfectly fit to drink in the developed world.
Best wishes for a more sustainable world.
Powered by Yahoo! Answers