| world striving to be more green and eco-friendly, | | | | piece from the other items in the bin. When a |
| nearly every food container and plastic item is | | | | grocery bag or other plastic bag is missed during |
| being placed in the recycling bin. While the recycling | | | | hand sorting, they can cause equipment breakage |
| company may choose to pick these items up, not | | | | and damage. The helpful alternative to placing |
| everyone can be recycled. There are five | | | | these bags in the recycling bin is to collect them |
| surprising pieces you may be placing in with your | | | | and drop them off at a local retail store. As long |
| everyday recycling that end up in the trash | | | | as the bags are clean and dry, they can be |
| anyway - waxed containers, batteries, grocery | | | | recycled with special equipment made to deal with |
| bags, glass dishes and styrofoam. | | | | this type of plastic. |
| Milk cartons and other waxed containers, like | | | | Glassware, ceramics and broken glass cannot be |
| frozen food boxes, are sprayed with a layer of | | | | recycled. These items are created for multiple |
| plastic or wax to prevent damage at low | | | | uses without breaking down. Because of this |
| temperatures. This plastic or wax coating | | | | special manufacturing process, the glass melts at |
| prevents these items from being recycled. While | | | | a much higher temperature than other pieces that |
| the boxes may be picked up by the recycling | | | | can be recycled. There are no special facilities |
| company, they will be weeded out and thrown | | | | where these pieces can be reused, but freecycling |
| away with traditional trash to avoid tainting the | | | | or barter and trade websites are perfect for |
| pulp from other, recyclable containers. Some | | | | making use of old items no longer needed or |
| companies, like Amy's Kitchen, are choosing to | | | | wanted in the home. If broken glass is the |
| forgo the wax covering and ship their boxes in | | | | problem, the pieces should be wrapped to |
| recyclable containers, but this is not common | | | | prevent cutting the bag or the garbage handler |
| practice with milk, juice and other frozen food | | | | and placed out with the normal trash. |
| companies. | | | | Styrofoam and polystyrene can be used to hold |
| One time use batteries are not a recyclable | | | | and transport food. The porous material tends to |
| material. These batteries contain small amounts of | | | | absorb food particles which can cause trouble |
| mercury which keep them in the hazardous | | | | when attempting to recycle the material. |
| materials category. There is a bit of metal that | | | | Styrofoam, while it can be recycled at a very |
| can be pulled from used batteries, the cost of | | | | high cost, would have to go through a cleaning |
| recycling is much higher than the potential profit | | | | process before being eligible for reuse. The same |
| yield. Thus, most trash companies and recycling | | | | goes for food containers made from polystyrene. |
| facilities choose to dispose of alkaline batteries in | | | | On the other hand, CD jewel cases and cassette |
| local landfills. The alternative is a nickel-cadmium | | | | cases made from polystyrene can be recycled as |
| rechargeable battery. They can be recycled when | | | | they pose no environmental or personal threat |
| they stop holding a charge. Not all rechargeable | | | | due to food contamination. |
| batteries are manufactured from nickel and | | | | Recycling is an easy way to reduce our carbon |
| cadmium so watch the label to ensure the | | | | footprint. While people tend to want to recycle |
| battery is made from recyclable materials. | | | | everything, putting trash in with the recyclables |
| Grocery bags are made from plastic and often | | | | causes the items to be transported twice -- once |
| recycled at different stores in a given local area, | | | | to the recycling facility and again to the land fill. All |
| but the recycling facility cannot reuse this plastic. | | | | that travel isn't very green. So, take the time to |
| The material tends to get caught in sorting | | | | sort your trash and learn what can and can't be |
| machines and can cost the recycling company | | | | recycled. |
| many man hours removing each bag piece by | | | | |