Your Questions About Recycling

The Expert answers:

We should recycle because the world has limited resources and by reusing them we won’t run out as quickly- it reduces the need for more raw materials. Also because if we didn’t , the landfills would keep filling up and where would we put all the garbage?!!?

The Expert answers:

This is dated over a year ago, but perhaps you could give the number a call to see if they have information on plastic bottle recycling or to see if their service area has expanded.

Additionally, almost every place I go, I see people collecting plastic bottles. I put ours in a separate bag and leave them out for those who know where to go to recycle.

“Recycling hotline opens in Shanghai

“Residents in four districts in Shanghai now can call 400-620-9500 for garbage recycling, the first time such a hotline has appeared in China, Labor Daily reported on Monday.

“The hotline, run by New Jinhua Rubbish Recycling Center, offers services to residents in districts of Changning, Putuo, Hongkou and Luwan, the report said.

“The service includes picking up old appliances such as TVs and washing machines, as well as glass bottles and newspapers.

“People can also call 6234-8790 to order the service.

“Both hotlines only provide services in Chinese.

“Clients can also call 5218-0366 if they have complaints about the service, the report said.

“The hotline is expected to expand its network to Yangpu and Xuhui districts in the first half of this year, the report said.”

(Shanghai Daily March 3, 2008)

http://www.china.org.cn/living_in_china/news/2008-03/03/content_11460892.htm

The Expert answers:

Recyclables put out for collection are the property of the city, or whoever the recycling authority is, the moment they are put out for pick-up. Taking recyclables out of the box in a municipality that has a recycling pick-up is theft, and people can be charged. If there is no recycling pick-up, taking items out of regular garbage is a crime in some places, but not all.

The Expert answers:

I get recycling, but I prefer re-purposing. I have a large piece of art that would earn you an easy A if you have creative tendencies…it’s a huge shadow box-style frame (maybe a 4’x3′ frame) with a really beautiful art piece that is made entirely of “garbage”…it’s gauze, cotton, and the like…built up in a 3-D effect (like a carved oriental rug) and dyed accordingly…mostly it’s floral, because that what the style I decorated in at the time I bought it, and while I don’t use it anymore (it’s been over 20 years since I got it), I don’t toss it because I still think it’s really cool. Imagine what you could do with crushed or cut aluminum cans and similar materials…art made out of recycled materials sells for big money…maybe think about a yard sculpture from recycled aluminum or something like that? No only would you get an A for creativity and thinking outside the box, you might start a new career for yourself!

The Expert answers:

Glad makes a scented trash bag, they work well. A 13 gal trash can in your kitchen with those bags, and just tie it up and take it out to the garage when full. I don’t think pick up every two weeks is right, that could run into sanitation issues. You may want to check on that, it should be once a week.

The Expert answers:

I live in East Riding of Yorkshire England and I asked our local council this question 6 months ago because their literature on what to put in the blue recycling bins said items must be tied in carrier bags.

The Council eventually agreed that it is a none sense to buy bags just to put recyclable waste in. So we haven’t used plastic bags for the last 6 months in either of our recyclable/non recyclable item bins. We have never had a problem with food smells as we compost peelings and avoid food waste.

Ask your local council, they may not object to you not using plastic bags. They probably haven’t really thought about the issue yet.

The Expert answers:

Another way to reuse these is to use them the way that you used them when you first received them : go shopping again! Plastic bags do not decompose so a plastic bag 10 years after when you first used it is still the same plastic bag.
The easiest way is to use them all for shopping again when you go to the grocery store again or when you go buy clothing again.
Using them as garbage bags is also not a bad idea.

In the cycle of being environmentally friendly there are three steps,
REDUCE
REUSE
Recycle

I suggest that you first try to reduce the number of plastic bags that you require, this can be through steps such as using canvas bags for shopping, (canvas bags hold more and wont rip under a heavy load)
if you happen to forget to bring your canvas bags to the store the next best thing for those bags is to reuse them, either at the store again or as trash bags as you are doing now.
The final step is that if you don’t need them as garbage bags, and you have canvas bags for shopping, then you can recycle them. Safeway, Giant, and other grocers take these plastic bags and recycle them to make new bags.

I strongly encourage you to REDUCE your need for plastic bags by making the step towards canvas bags, some grocers even take a few cents off of your next grocery bill when you bring your own canvas bags.

The Expert answers:

You best to call your towns garbage collection department . They will have all the answers for you.
I put my waste paper in a clear plastic bag and it is picked up every 2 weeks with other recyclables. And yes shred any paper with personal information on it.

The Expert answers:

No i don’t do it but many people should. Didn’t they say that plastic bags can last like 100 years or more as garbage. Besides the world wouldn’t let you shoplift with all the security available, especially walmart though it’s not impossible but you are not buying a cloth bag for that anyway. Really, who cares about what people think you are doing the right thing and sometimes it don’t seem like but you know you are. So Thanks for not using those plastic bags.