Answers to your questions about commingling.

Byline: Q&A: RECYCLING By Susan Palmer The Register-Guard

Garbage or recycling? That's what you wonder standing at the sink with that empty salad dressing bottle, all cruddy on the bottom, or the pizza box with its little circle of grease. And just how bad is it to put the dirty tomato soup can into recycling without washing it out first?

We posed those questions and more to Sarah Grimm, waste reduction specialist for Lane County Waste Management, who hardly scolded us at all as she helpfully set us straight.

Question:

First I couldn't recycle plastic grocery bags. Then they said I could. Now they say I can't. What's up with that?

Answer: You could and you still can recycle plastic bags. Just NOT in the curbside commingled system. Take them to most Lane County transfer sites or grocery stores for recycling. It turns out that the mechanical systems invented to sort our commingled materials cannot handle plastic bags. The bags wrap around the equipment, causing it to malfunction.

Question:

What's the right answer at the checkout counter: paper or plastic?

Answer: The correct answer is "Neither, thank you. I have one right here," and you pull a folded plastic bag from your back pocket. Both types of bags are recyclable and reusable. Plastic is lighter, requiring less fuel to transport, but paper bags were likely made here in Oregon and not transported far.

Question:

Why do I have to clean out my cans?

Answer: Food contamination on any item renders it garbage. Not only does food interrupt the ability to remanufacture, but it molds and attracts pests, creating a hazardous work environment from curb to truck to sorting facility to loading dock to container shipment to remanufacture plant. A quick rinse is all you need. Take the time or toss it out.

Question:

If I can recycle metal cans, why can't I recycle other kinds of metal like chains and engine parts?

Answer: You can recycle metal chains and engine parts, just not in the curbside commingled system. All Lane County transfer sites will take scrap metal, and auto wrecking yards will take auto parts.

Question:

What should I do with the lids of metal cans?

Answer: Lids are not visible in among all the paper and pose a cutting hazard to sorters. They end up as a damaging contaminant at the paper mill. When opening your can, do not remove the lid fully. Leave a 1/4-inch or so, and after rinsing, just push the lid back inside the can. Or put the detached lid in the can and slightly crimp the can into an oval shape so the lid can't fall out. Don't flatten the tin.

Question:

Many cans have some sort of coating on the inside. Are they recyclable?

Answer: Yes.

Question:

Does a grease stain on a pizza box render it unrecyclable?

Answer: Yes, food contamination is such a problem that pizza boxes are not considered recyclable.

Question:

Why can't I leave the lids on the milk jugs? They're both made of plastic, right?

Answer: While both lid and jug are plastic, they may not be the same kind of plastic. Lids are more likely to contain problem ingredients such as fillers, softeners, stiffeners and colorants. The way a plastic resin is formed changes that plastic forever. A No. 2 injection-molded bottle is not the same as a No. 2 blow-molded tub. Bottles, tubs and jugs, Nos. 1-5 and 7 have been recyclable in Lane County since 1996.

Question:

I can't remember all the numbers on plastics that can be recycled. Is there some easy way to tell the good from the bad?

Answer: These days, it's more important to pay attention to the shape. If it's a bottle, tub or jug, go ahead and toss it in. Or if you must think about numbers, just think: Nix on 6.

Question:

Is a paper envelope with a plastic window recyclable?

Answer: Yes.

Question:

Can I recycle a child's art project made on construction paper decorated with macaroni and glitter?

Answer: No! General rule of thumb: If it contains more than one material its not recyclable (gable top milk cartons and aseptic juice and soy milk bottles are the exception to that rule).

Question:

Is an empty jug that contained liquid laundry detergent too contaminated to recycle?

Answer: Only if it's not rinsed out.

Question:

Should I flatten plastic jugs?

Answer: Not if you put your materials in a curbside commingle system. If you take your stuff to a drop site where plastic is collected separately, you can flatten them.

Question:

What do I do with half-gallon carton milk containers?

Answer: For curbside recycling, rinse, let dry and do not flatten. At transfer stations, rinse, let dry, flatten if you wish.

Question:

If I don't clean out the crud in my salad dressing bottle, can I still put it in recycling?

Answer: No. A quick rinse is all you need.

Question:

What's the best way to recycle my shredded personal papers?

Answer: Put them in a paper bag, maybe staple it shut and label it shredded. Do not toss in loose.

Question:

Are food scraps, such as orange rinds and vegetable trimmings, OK to put in with my yard debris?

Answer: Not at this time; some notable pilot studies in Seattle, Portland and San Francisco are showing promise for the future, but not now.