“Can I place these in my commingled curbside recycle bin?” According to Ann Hackett, RVUUF’s Master Recycler, this is a question that people often wonder about various items in their households. Here is an update from Ann Hackett on recycling do’s and don’ts as it pertains to the curbside Commingled Recycle Bin.

Plastic Clamshells – No. But you currently can take them to the Water Street Recycle Depot in Ashland. There is a specific bin for them. Please clean them first! This is an example of where voting with your dollar makes a difference. You could choose to buy produce that doesn’t come in a hard plastic container, but rather buying loose produce at the Grower’s Market, local grocery store, or a local farmer, using a cloth produce bag (perhaps one made by RVUUF member Colleen Chambers.)

Bubble Wrap – No, but Marcia Sandler is collecting it for her personal use. You may place in her box located in the coat closet area at RVUUF. And don’t pop the bubbles or it’s useless.

Packing Peanuts – No, but again, Marcia Sandler is collecting it for her personal use. You may place in her box, located in the coat closet area at RVUUF. Another option is to take to the Water Street Recycle Depot and give to the attendant on duty. They have a spot where they store packing peanuts free to use. So keep that in mind when you need packing peanuts for your shipping/packing needs.

Flex Packaging or Multi-Layer Packaging – No. But first of all, what is it? It is packaging that consists of multiple layers of different materials. One example is the soft juice containers like Capri Sun. This plastic is actually many layers of different materials pressed together…it includes a layer of foil. Another example would be padded envelopes. Most of them are lined with bubble wrap or a thin sheet of foam. This renders the envelope non-recyclable, but Marcia can use it!

Plastic Bags or Wrap – No. But you currently can take them to the Water Street Recycle Depot in Ashland. There are specific bins for them. One-hundred-percent clear film goes in one bin (no ink/printing/labels on this) and all other soft plastic goes in the other bin. Please make certain they are clean!

Alkaline Batteries – No. Not only should these NOT go in the recycle bin, they also should not go in the regular trash bin. These are collected once a year (in May) at the Household Hazardous Waste Roundup. These are shipped to a facility where they are incinerated. Please save these for the roundup again next year. Caution: please wrap the posts of 9Volt batteries (square batteries with two posts) with electrical tape. There is still enough juice in these to cause a spark which could cause a fire. Note: You can pay to have them actually “recycled” though. Places like Ashland Hardware and Batteries Plus charge per the pound for you to have them sent to a battery recycle facility.

Acid Batteries – No. There is a place where you can drop these off for free at the Transfer Station in White City. (Please check with Recology to see if the dump in Ashland also has a place where you place for free.)

Yogurt/Cottage Cheese/Sourcream Containers* – Yes. But NOT the lids. And they also must be clean. Just put them on the top rack in your dishwasher when you run your regular cycle or handwash.

Plastic Bottles (e.g. condiment bottles, milk cartons)* Yes IF – the neck is smaller than the body of the bottle, but NOT the lids. Again, please ensure they are clean. Simply soak in the sink in warm soapy water. No need to remove the labels.

Prescription Bottles – No. but Marcia Sandler can use them! Please remove the labels for your safety and to help Marcia.

Napkins, paper towels, food wrappers (e.g. hamburger/taco wrappers) – No. These must be thrown away. They are considered to be at the end of the recycle stream and cannot be recycled again.

Pizza Boxes – Yes. Please empty out the crumbs and any liners/inserts and they can be placed in your commingled recycle bin.

Cardboard Milk Cartons – No. These have been coated with wax and sometimes have plastic components. Please just place in the regular trash.

Styrofoam – No. Sadly there isn’t a way for this to be recycled. Fortunately, some manufacturers are exploring different ways of packaging including cardboard and biodegradable options like packing made from mushrooms.

In summary, virtually NO plastic should go in your curbside recycle bin except for items above with an asterisk* – with the stipulations indicated.

Ann Hackett asks that people “Please don’t be a ‘wishful recycler.’” This can cause an entire load of recyclables to be rejected at the Material Recycle Facility due to contamination. So in essence, you could be nullifying everyone’s good recycling efforts (your own included.). If in doubt, please leave it out. For more information, use RVUUF’s contact form to connect with Ann Hackett, or just ask her when you see her at church on Sunday.