Unplugged Living

So How Exactly Do You Recycle?

by Noel on May 6th, 2008

Here are some tips I discovered on the net on how one should go about recycling. I thought it was that simple but I guess there are still some rules to it.

Recycling error No. 3: Broken glass in the green bin. Glass bottles and jars go in the green bin. But broken glass should be wrapped in newspaper and placed in the trash.

Recycling error No. 4: Greasy pizza boxes in the green bin. Cardboard used to package pizza, pastries and other foods is recyclable only if it is completely clean. You can rip off the soiled bits, put them in the trash, and recycle the clean cardboard.

Recycling error No. 5: Aluminum pie plates in the garbage. Pie plates and tin foil that is clean can be recycled. If there’s food cooked or smeared on it, either clean it or put it in the trash.

Recycling error No. 6: Styrofoam in the green bin. This ubiquitous take-out container material is still not recyclable in Montreal. If you know you are going to need a doggy bag, consider bringing your own tupperware to that Chinese restaurant. And if your favourite coffee joint uses styrofoam or other non-recyclable cups, consider bringing your own mug.

Recycling error No. 7: Plastic bags in the trash. Even though most of us are making an effort to use cloth bags as often as possible, a few of those old plastic bags still sneak their way into our homes. Separate them from the rest of your recycling by stuffing them all inside one larger one, and put them in the green bin. Make sure to knot the one bag so they don’t blow all over the road on a windy day

Recycling error No. 8: Plastic packaging in the green bin. Don’t you hate that clear plastic packaging that surrounds every toy or electronic gadget you buy these days? Cutting the thing out of its plastic prison takes forever, and then the plastic isn’t even recyclable. Avoid this kind of packaging if you can.

Recycling error No. 9: Not separating containers from paper. The recycling collection trucks in Montreal generally have two compartments, one for paper and cardboard, the other for all kinds of containers (i.e. cans, bottles, cartons). If you just toss everything in one bin, it will get separated at the plant, but we can save millions in taxes if people do a preliminary separation in their homes. If you have a lot of paper to recycle, consider getting a second bin, one for containers and the other for paper and flattened cardboard. Separate fine paper from newspapers.

Recycling error No. 10: Peeling off labels. Although rinsing containers is a basic civility, you don’t need to peel labels off bottles or cans.

Any new tips that you may want to add?

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