You can’t just throw recyclable items in the recycle bin without some preparation because many of them are “mixed materials”, that is, they are made with different types of plastic. The Amazon bubble envelopes come in 2 main types: paper and plastic bubbles (which cannot be recycled) and all plastic of one type, which can be recycled IF it has the recycle symbol on it. Local recycle centers, where everything goes in one box at your curbside, rely on minimum wage workers, who often don’t speak the local language, to separate materials at the recycle plant, and that’s why the recycle symbol is so important: that’s what the workers need to separate the incoming materials into the proper bins. Magnets can be used to separate out ferrous metals but plastics and paper must be sorted by hand.
There are also things which cannot be recycled at all depending on what your local recycle center accepts, like: plastic or wax coated cartons (like milk boxes, juice boxes, coconut milk boxes, etc), items with food stuck on them (cardboard pizza boxes). Mixing different types of plastic can ruin a whole 1 ton batch of plastic. Repeated ruined batches can put the recycle center out of business.
So here are some types on how to recycle things.
- Remove all plastic caps from all items. The caps are often a different type of plastic an in the US, almost none of the caps have the recycle symbol on them so they will be thrown away at the recycling plant as workers cannot be sure what type of plastic it really is.
- Remove all paper labels from all items. Use kerosene, or some other label remover to remove sticky labels. Let the remover soak in for 15 minutes, then peel the label right off. Some items are being made (some yogurts) with paper labels that are easy to remove. Remove paper labels from cans. I use Duck Adhesive Remover which looks like an orange liquid in a clear bottle with a foam applicator tip. It works great! There is also a product in the US called Goo Gone which removes sticky tape residue but also removes paper labels. This label remover does not work so well with plastic labels which were on some amber prescription bottles in 2019.
- Remove all metal foil lids completely from things like yogurt containers.
- Plastic bags, like inner bags for cereal, or bags of frozen vegetables, normally do not have the recycle symbol on them in the US so they cannot be recycled. You can try but the recycle plant will normally throw them in the trash.
- Fluorescent lights often have a small amount of mercury in them, they cannot be recycled at the normal recycling center as they have many non-glass components in them which must be removed first, and they have very toxic mercury in them.
- Batteries. Most household batteries (like C, D, AA, and AAA) can be taken to a separate recycling center. Car batteries in the US can be returned to any place that sells car batteries and you will get money back (about $18usd) for each car battery you return. For each car battery you buy you will also be charge about $18usd as a deposit.
- Styrofoam cannot be recycled at most US recycling plants. If you are not sure ask at your local recycling plant or city office.
- Plastic grocery bags CAN be recycled but only if there is a specific dropoff point just for these types of bags because these bags normally do not have a recycle symbol, but are mostly one type of plastic. To be on the cautious side of things, if one bag is very smooth (like some plastic bags from the malls) it’s probably a different type of plastic, do not mix it with other types of plastic.
- Yard waste. Some cities have a dropoff point for yard waste (organic waste only) and some will accept leaves only, but only in the fall. Check with your city about specific rules. The rotted leaves will then become compost for areas the cities are responsible for.
Recycling batteries
- Some battery types contain lead which is toxic to the environment. Brain damage caused by lead is permanent and irreversible. It only takes a small amount of lead to cause brain damage.
- Some primary household batteries contain mercury but these are mostly phased out in the US. Look for batteries marked “low mercury” or “mercury free”. If it doesn’t say “mercury free” they may very well contain mercury.
- How to recycle single-use (primary) batteries. https://earth911.com/recycling-guide/how-to-recycle-single-use-batteries/
- Where to recycle batteries from Energizer. https://www.energizer.com/responsibility/battery-recycling/where-to-recycle-batteries
- Where to recycle auto batteries. Meijer, Reilly’s, Autozone, and any place that sells auto batteries.
- Battery University, how to recycle batteries. https://batteryuniversity.com/index.php/learn/article/recycling_batteries
- Consumer Reports How to recycle your batteries. https://www.consumerreports.org/recycling/recycle-old-batteries/
