Single-stream ROCKS.
I can’t tell you how often I have to ask, “Is it 1, 2 and 5? What about 7?” I briefly thought about putting a clarifying note near the recycling bin to remind me of which plastics belonged in the bin and which couldn’t enter the recycling stream. This afternoon Heather found some information online that is great news for absent-minded recyclers like me…
ITS ALL GOOD.
That’s right! Ecocyle is Now Accepting # 1 – 7 Plastic Bottles and Tubs in your Curbside Recycling Bin!
A few caveats to keep in mind:
- No plastic lids, caps or pumps: Whether or not your caps or lids have a number or a recycling symbol, they are not accepted and are not recyclable. Lids, caps and lotion or soap pumps are significant contaminants, both on and off the container. Please continue to toss them in the trash.
- No plastic bags: Plastic bags are by far the worst contaminant in the recycling bin. Please do not put plastic bags in your bin and please do not bag any materials. Clean, dry and empty plastic bags with #2 or #4 can be recycled at the CHaRM or at participating grocery stores. Plastic bags collected at the curb get caught in ecocyle’s sorting equipment, cost the program money and are not recycled.
- No foam: While white foam cups and containers often have a #6 on the bottom, they are not a recyclable plastic. These products can be easily exchanged for their safer, reusable or recyclable counterparts.
- No #7 PLA bottles or containers: It couldn’t be as simple as ALL #1 – 7 plastics, could it? The broad #7 category was designed as a catch-all for polycarbonate (PC) and “other” plastics. Unfortunately, new compostable plastics, made from bio-based polymers like corn starch, are also thrown into this category and labeled with a #7. But, you can tell them apart from their petroleum-based relatives because compostable plastics ALSO have the initials PLA on the bottom near the recycling symbol. Some may also say “compostable.” Please look carefully for that coding, and if you see it, you have the green light to toss the container, not in the recycling bin, but in your COMPOST collection bin. PLA is NOT recyclable, but it IS compostable.
Ecocyle has some great resources for confused folks like me:
There is a poster that makes all the details listed above crystal clear. Download it, print it and all your questions will be answered the next time you are in front of the bin and scratching your head.
For those of you outside of Boulder County, Google “recycling guidelines” and your town’s name. You never know what you might find. Hopefully one of those links will give you the skinny on what can be recycled in your neck of the woods.
