Your Questions About Recycling
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Filed under Recycling Q & A
Carol asks…
Where are some plastic bottling recycling centers in Georgia?
my zip code is 30218 and I want to recycle some plastic bottles and aluminum cans…I’m just not sure on where the closet center is
The Expert answers:
Save yourself some time. I throw all mine in my local river. They came from earth and that’s where I put them back at. You should to. You can also just throw them in your local sewer drain.
Richard asks…
Any Recycling Centers in the NYC area?
I’m trying to organize a recycling project for my school and I can’t seem to find any recycling centers nearby. Do you know of any Recycling centers in the NYC Area (for paper preferably) that will give you money for your paper? Thanks so much for your help.
The Expert answers:
I think there is no any centres.
Linda asks…
Recycling Centers In Florida That Will Buy Plastic?
Are there any recycling centers in Florida that buy plastic bottles?
The Expert answers:
You can search it here http://search.earth911.com/
Mary asks…
Is it customary for recycling centers to charge people that bring in scrap material?
I brought an old thermostat that contained mercury and copper to the recycling center. They wanted $20 to accept it. I thought these centers paid for scrap metals. Am I wrong, or are they thinking to take advantage of an uninformed person?
The Expert answers:
The mercury is considered “hazardous” waste and the recycling company has to pay to dispose of it properly, so they pass the cost on to the person wanting to dispose of it. There probably isn’t enough copper in the thermostat to matter to them as scrap value.
Betty asks…
How do recycling centers separate materials?
I know all the recyclables are placed on a rotating belt, but how are they able to separate everything? I recycle pretty much recycle everything I throw away, except food, so for an example, how would they separate packaging with plastic and paper attached? It seems so complicated.
The Expert answers:
There are a variety of ways to accomplish the task. I’ll put a link to the way my city does it. We have a Material Recovery Facility which uses both mechanical and manual sorting processes to divert over 60% of the waste to recycling. The video is a little long, and slow but about 4 min. Into it you get more info on the process.
Ruth asks…
Are there any recycling centers in brooklyn ?
I just went through my binders and folders from 9th grade and also 7th and i have a hugeee bag full of papers i dont just wanna throw away i want to give them to a recycling center are there any in brooklyn ? or if possible can i get someone to pick up my papers ?
The Expert answers:
Earth911.com
Binders and folders can be reused for next year, of course.
If you don’t want them, but they aren’t too badly damaged or decorated, you can donate them. If someone uses them this coming school year, that is even better for the earth than recycling them! Many schools will take them and give them to poorer students, or thrift stores, or other groups that help school children without as much money can pass them on.
Good for you for recycling, and reusing is even better than recycling.
William asks…
In California I see recycling centers in parking lots that pay for recycling. How do they make a profit?
Often these spots pay a good rate for these recyclables. Do they wait until they have a large amount and then bring it directly to the disposal areas? Any idea what kind of rates they get for the recyclables?
The Expert answers:
The person bringing the recyclable gets about a cent per soda can. The collector re-sells them to companies that manufacture aluminum. Those companies in turn make their profit by not having to pay for the energy to refine the bauxite ore.
Other recyclables are less profitable. Paper fluctuates but runs about a cent a pound. That can be re-manufactured into cardboard, corrugated board, insulation, and book-board.
Plastics can be turned into garbage cans, motor-oil bottles, and plastic lumber.
Ken asks…
How much stuff do recycling centers actually recycle of the materials given to them?
The Expert answers:
That will always depend on what people actually throw in their recycling bins. I’ve never seen a plant that didn’t have to pick over everything they get in order to recycle what they can or should…my guess would be 80–85% actually gets recycled. The rest is trash.
Robert asks…
Does the recycling centers make you remove the caps before you get a refund?
They will take the larger gallon size plastic containers but they will not credit you for it. I just wanted to know if the rest of the country is the same way.
The Expert answers:
My husband works at a recycling center and the reason you take the caps off is because they are put into a machine to crush and bundle them and if they have caps on then they would pop off while being crushed than like 1000 caps would be shooting out all over and could hurt someone..
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