Did You Know This Stuff Was Recyclable?

Written by Joan Dentler

November 15 is America Recycles Day, and a statewide organization, Keep California Beautiful (KCB), has listed five common items that many people do not know are recyclable.

KCB urges consumers to first check the product to see if it contains a recycling symbol before tossing it in the trash. 

Five common items that CAN be recycled:

#1: Foam Cups, Food Containers, and Packaging (commonly mistaken as Styrofoam): One common item that many folks do not know is recyclable is polystyrene foam, which can be identified by a #6 – PS symbol, often found at the bottom of the material. Foam is being recycled into beautiful picture frames, crown molding, baseboards, nursery packaging, and school supplies like pens and rulers. Not all cities in California accept foam in their curbside recycling bins or at neighborhood drop-off facilities, but many have been adding it, so check with your city to see if it is accepted where you live. For more information visit, http://california.gofoam.org/.

#2: Batteries: Batteries are used in everyday items – from the single-use batteries found in toys, flashlights, remote controls, smoke alarms and some handheld gaming systems to the rechargeable batteries in many common electronics, including cellphones, cordless power tools, laptop computers, digital cameras, two-way radios, MP3 players/iPods and tablets. Thousands of municipalities and retailers, such as The Home Depot, RadioShack, Lowe’s, Staples and Best Buy, make responsible collection and recycling of batteries convenient, free and easy.  In 2012, residents’ recycling efforts made California the first state to collect over 1 million pounds of batteries. To find a drop-off site nearest you, visit http://www.call2recycle.org.

#3: Hangers: Currently, eight billion hangers go into landfills every year, enough to fill nearly five Empire State Buildings. In the US over 15 million hangers are landfilled every day. Hangers are not accepted in all recycling systems due to tangling in recycling machinery and breaking apart into small pieces. So, check with your local collection agency to see if your plastic and metal hangers are allowed in your recycling bin. If they aren’t accepted, instead of throwing them away, take them back to the dry cleaners or donate them to your favorite thrift store. Better yet, ask your favorite retailer to use recyclable hangers, such as 100% recyclable paper hangers. For more information visitwww.dittohangers.com/environment/.

#4: Plastic Bags: Plastic bags are generally #2 and #4 plastic, both of which are recyclable. Most plastic bags are recycled into composite lumber, but can actually become a wide variety of products after they’re recycled. Drop-off locations and curbside pick-up programs for these plastics, including other film plastics, such as case wrap from beverages and paper products, and dry cleaning bags, are available all over the country, including your local grocery store. Check with your local recycling and solid waste office for details about plastic bag recycling in your community or visit http://plasticbagrecyling.org. 

#5: Cigarette Butts: Cigarette butts are the most common littered item, and are not biodegradable; they are made with a material that can leak their toxic chemicals into the environment. Thankfully, they can be recycled into things like plastic pallets, guitar picks and even jewelry. There are some communities that have installed special cigarette butt depositories on their streets – check with your community to see if that’s happening near you. Or, visit Terracycle, a recycler that accepts cigarette butts for recycling at http://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades.html.

A lot of everyday items can be given a second chance at life. Just remember, when it comes to recycling, every community is different, so take a little time for the environment on America Recycles Day, and do some research to make sure you’re recycling all of the materials accepted in your community. Check with your local solid waste and recycling office about your neighborhood’s recycling options. If items are not accepted in your community, then look online to find companies that will take your products. Let’s all renew our commitment on November 15 to creating a sustainable future for everyone.