With the delay in recycling pickup, I’ve had the opportunity this weekend to see what’s in a lot of recycling containers. I spent a lot of time as business manager at a private school finding out exactly what does and does not get recycled, and here’s what I learned:
Paper and cardboard, metal, and glass DO get recycled. Most plastic DOES NOT. Only plastic labeled as “1” actually gets recycled; those are heavy plastics such as detergent bottles. No other plastic gets recycled, no matter what you’ve heard. ( Or wished was so!) Any soft plastic: bags, …
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With the delay in recycling pickup, I’ve had the opportunity this weekend to see what’s in a lot of recycling containers. I spent a lot of time as business manager at a private school finding out exactly what does and does not get recycled, and here’s what I learned:
Paper and cardboard, metal, and glass DO get recycled. Most plastic DOES NOT. Only plastic labeled as “1” actually gets recycled; those are heavy plastics such as detergent bottles. No other plastic gets recycled, no matter what you’ve heard. ( Or wished was so!) Any soft plastic: bags, wrap, soft containers such as salad containers, and, most especially, water bottles, do not get recycled.
I have found that throwing away all the plastic that I know does not get recycled has been a good discipline for me; every toss into the trash reminds me of the first principle of an earth friendly life: reduce!
Miriam Fisher Schaefer
Chestnut Hill
