Top 3 Things That Should Not Be Recycled
Are you concerned about the environment? Do you like to recycle as much as possible? While wanting to recycle as much as possible is a noble ambition, the truth is that proper garbage disposal can be a tricky subject at times. Here are some things that you should think twice about before putting them into your recycling bin:
Cardboard: While most cardboard is fine to recycle, not all of it is. If your cardboard is laminated or otherwise has lots of tape still stuck to it, the excess plastic may get caught in your recycling center's machinery. Another issue with cardboard is that it is often contaminated with grease or oil, such as with used pizza boxes. Unfortunately, a single greasy pizza box can ruin an entire batch of cardboard recycling. Thankfully, if you remove the contaminated greasy portions before putting it in the recycling bin, your pizza box can still be recycled. The greasy portion will simply need to be handled by your normal garbage disposal process.
Plastic bottles: Many people simply toss any and all plastic bottles into the recycling bin, without even thinking about it. Although the bottle may have the recycling symbol on it, there are several reasons why you might want to dispose of it in another way. If the bottle contained a hazardous chemical, such as pesticide or bleach, your local recycling center may not want it. Another issue is that there are 6 or 7 different types of recyclable plastics out there, depending on whether you count "other" as a type. Your recycling center may be set up to only take one or two of these plastics. Make sure to check with your local recycling center to find out exactly what types of plastics they accept. Plastic that cannot be recycled in your area must be sorted out by recycling center employees before anything is done to the bottles, increasing the effort and cost of recycling in your area.
Batteries: Many batteries say that they can be recycled, but this is only at special facilities. Unless your local recycling center says that they will accept batteries, leave them out of the recycling bin. If you have no battery processing facility nearby, your recycling center will have to direct extra time and effort to proper garbage disposal of your used batteries. Handling the disposal process yourself will help to cut down on the number of tax dollars needed for your city's recycling program.
To learn more, contact a company like Oscar Disposal Ltd.