FAQ Category: The Recycle Lady

I see people recycling plastic bottles with caps on, but I have always been told to remove the caps before putting the bottles in recycling. Is it really important to remove caps from plastic bottles? ~Just Wondering

Dear Just Wondering,

It is critical to remove the caps of plastic bottles before recycling, as bottles and caps are made from different kinds of plastic. When two kinds of plastic are mixed, one kind contaminates the other, reducing the value of the recycled material. Additionally, it takes extra time for workers to separate caps from bottles before processing. If caps are left on the bottles, they could jam the processing equipment and also, the bottles may not compact properly. More significantly, a capped bottle might explode and become a safety hazard for workers. As you can see, there are several good reasons for removing caps from plastic bottles before putting them into the recycling bin or bag.

I brought my cardboard to recycling last week and was shocked to see what someone had put in the bin – used pizza boxes. Greasy cardboard cannot be recycled. It is wonderful that people want to recycle, but they need to know what can be recycled. Greasy cardboard should be put in the trash. ~Not So Happy Recycler

Dear Not So Happy Recycler,

You are absolutely correct. Greasy cardboard, of any kind, must not be recycled. It only takes one greasy item to contaminate an entire batch. Cleanliness is not only important when recycling cardboard, but it is critical for everything that goes to recycling so that contamination doesn’t happen. When recycling cardboard boxes don’t forget to remove any packing materials, such as plastic, foam or Styrofoam peanuts. You do not need to flatten the boxes before recycling. Recycling cardboard important because it saves energy and it takes up so much space in the landfill. (Cardboard is the single largest component of municipal solid waste around the world.) To make new boxes out of recycled cardboard requires only 75% of the energy used to make new cardboard. Definitely better for our environment.

Last week, someone asked about recycling greeting cards and whether to put them in with magazines or paper. Your answer was to always put them in with magazines. Sometimes I can’t tell the difference between newspaper advertisements. Some look like they could be a glossy and some appear to be colorful newsprint. Should they also all be put in with magazines? Glossy or newspaper? ~Confused

Dear Confused,

You are not the only one that is confused. My answer to the question about greeting cards was not exactly correct. When doing some research on recycling cards, I discovered that there is a better answer. First of all, glossy or slicks are described as looking like photographs. Using that description, a few greeting cards are glossy and they go in with magazines. However, most greeting cards, thank you notes, announcements, and postcards are matte and they go in with office paper. Color is a not a factor, unless it is glossy. What difference does it make whether a card is put in with paper or magazines? The difference is that office paper is worth several times what magazines are worth at a paper mill. The same is true with the newspaper advertisements. Glossy looking ads go in with magazines, all other ads stay in with the newspaper. Just as office paper is worth more than magazines, so are newspapers worth more than magazines.

How do I recycle aluminum foil? Does it go in bin with the aluminum cans? ~Foiled in Lewisburg

Dear Foiled in Lewisburg,

No, aluminum foil doesn’t go with aluminum cans, but goes in a separate bag/bin with pie pans. Don’t be fooled by the “fake” aluminum bags inside a cracker or chip box or bag. It appears to be aluminum on one side, but it isn’t. Test it. If you crumble up a piece of aluminum, it will stay in a ball. If it isn’t, it unwraps itself. According to earth911.com, “aluminum is one of the highest-value materials you can recycle and can be reprocessed into new aluminum in only 60 days. Although nearly 75 percent of aluminum produced in the U.S. is still being used, Americans dispose of enough aluminum foil each year to annually build an entire aircraft fleet.” Aluminum foil is 100% recyclable, so please take the time to clean it, put it in a separate bag and send it to be recycled.

I just read an article about using banana peels as a fertilizer for plants. I know used coffee grounds can be recycled into an excellent fertilizer, so why not banana peels. I think I will give them a try. How do I prepare them? ~Gardner

Dear Gardner,

Good question and a great way to recycle banana peels. Banana peels are 25% phosphorous and 42% potassium, so they are not only good for us, they are also good for plants. I found some instructions online that are pretty simple. If your peels are dark, cut them into small pieces and place them in a glass container. Add enough water to cover the peels and let sit for three or four days in a shaded area. You can put the peels in whole, but cutting them up shortens the soaking time and allows more peels to be put in one container. Then, pour the mixture through a sieve into another glass container and you have a liquid that can be poured on your plants. If your peels are still yellow, it will take closer to a week to make good fertilizer, particularly if you place the peels in the jar whole. I would love to hear from anyone who tries this. What were the results? Do you have any helpful hints for other readers?

When I get a package that has Styrofoam peanuts in it, I put this packing material in a bag to save it. I reuse the Styrofoam peanuts when I send a package out. What’s even better is I read about a company that makes popcorn to use as packing material. Individuals can also use popcorn as packing material. Using a hot air popper is recommended because it doesn’t use oil and the popcorn will be clean. ~Happy Recycler

Dear Happy Recycler,

I’m happy to hear that you are reusing the Styrofoam peanuts. Your suggestion to use air-popped popcorn as packing material is a great idea. If you find that you have more Styrofoam peanuts than you can use, they can be taken to PostNet on US 219 North. They reuse them for the packages they ship. They also accept plastic pillows and bubble wrap. The environment benefits from using as few of these particular contaminants as possible. Styrofoam is one of the worst offenders. Because of its light weight, it is often blown by the wind into bodies of water and into the soil causing problems for both the marine and wildlife. It doesn’t ever decompose. It stays in the environment for hundreds of thousands of years and it crumbles easily into small pieces, making it more likely that birds and fish will eat it. Three cheers for Maine and Maryland that have banned the use of Styrofoam. I hope West Virginia will consider banning it soon.

Last time I was at the Recycling Center I noticed that aluminum pie pans & aluminum foil goes in the same bin. I thought they had to go in separate bags or bins. Also, I noticed that one of the signs on the aluminum pie/foil bin said silver aluminum only. I have a red aluminum pan. Can it be recycled? ~Recycler

Dear Recycler,

Aluminum foil and aluminum pans are now combined in the same bin or bag and any color aluminum is recyclable. The problem is whether or not the foil is actually aluminum foil. The sign was put up quite a while go because fake aluminum foil was being put in the bin. Fake foils are “look-a-likes” that appear to be aluminum foil, but they are not. For example, when you open a bag of potato chips, the inside part of the bag looks like it is foil. To see if the bag really is aluminum foil, do this quick test. Crumble it up. If it stays crumbled, it is aluminum. If it unfolds, it is not. Thanks for calling the sign to our attention. Since it is no longer needed, it has been taken down. Make sure your pans and foil are clean before recycling them. One dirty pan or dirty foil can contaminate the items around them, and they are no longer recyclable. Large cities have special equipment to clean all items, but that equipment is not available here.

I have been painting my back porch and have several empty paint cans. Can they be recycled? What about spray cans of paint? Are they recyclable? ~Sprucing Up

Dear Sprucing Up,

To answer to your first question: no, paint cans cannot be recycled. Paint cans go into the trash. But, before throwing them into the trash, be sure to follow the DEP and EPA recommendations for protecting our environment. If there is less than a couple inches of paint remaining in the can, let it dry out first, then put the can in the trash. If there is more paint than this left in the can, add some kitty litter, sand, sawdust or any absorbent material, to the paint and stir it in with the stirrer or spatula. Continue adding and stirring in the kitty litter until there is no liquid left. The paint should solidify in a few hours. Replace the lid and add to trash bag. Kitty litter is added because liquid paint is considered an environmental hazard. To answer your second question: yes, an empty spray can of paint can be recycled like any other spray can. Add it to the recycling bag or bin for steel cans.