Civic Association of Heritage Harbour Homeowners, Inc.

RECYCLING PLASTICS

Several years ago, the Civic Association of Heritage Harbour Homeowners (CAHHH) had a hands-on demonstration on how and what to recycle. Some of the rules have changed because of changes in the Anne Arundel County contract with their recycler. These changes are confusing. Other reasons people are confused is because they have come from different areas and the rules are different.

We would like to do a series of recycling facts and tips to help our community better understand current recycling rules. FYI, there is an excellent free APP for recycling called Recycle Coach. You can be very specific about items you have questions about, even by taking a picture of the item.

One of the biggest problems with recycling is contamination. Contamination happens when garbage, non-recycling containers and\or dirty containers (not rinsed) are thrown into the bin or truck. The contaminants (liquids (not water), food stuff, etc.) then are absorbed into cardboard, paper, and other recycled materials. Thus, contaminating previously clean items making them unusable.

There are two types of plastics... FILMY and HARD.

• FILMY plastic would be items like plastic bags (grocery, bread, etc.), plastic wrap like what you find around cubes of water bottles, toilet paper, paper towels, etc. These items if clean and dry can be recycled at many of our grocery stores. Look for the box for recycling. Crunchy plastic bags (cereal bags, candy wrappers, snack bags-potato chips, etc) are not recyclable and go into the trash.

• HARD plastic would be items like plastic bottles, jars, jugs, trays, cups, flowerpots, plant trays, etc. Please rinse all containers. Keep plastic lids and labels on. These items go in the recycle bin. FYI, Home Depot will reuse/recycle plastic plant trays and pots.

• STYROFOAM goes into the trash.

When in doubt – throw it out. The above info has been reviewed by Waste Management – Recycling Department.

Sue Hugues

RECYCLING PAPER AND CARDBOARD

When our recyclables are picked-up and taken to the sorting facility, the items are sorted into paper/ cardboard, plastics and glass. The plastics and glass will go through a heat and water process to further clean them.

The paper cannot use the same process. The paper (without grease, food residue or wax-coating) is then sorted based on grades. The grade of paper is determined by the length of the fibers which shorten every time it is recycled. Paper can be recycled 5-7 times before the fibers become too short to make new paper. Therefore, toilet paper and paper towels are NOT able to be recycled. Their fibers are too short. The reason it is so important to only recycle clean paper and cardboard is that contaminated items can contaminate the whole batch that is being processed, making that batch unusable.

If the paper or cardboard get wet with water, it can still be recycled. Do not worry about the rain. Also, it is okay to recycle window envelopes, items with staple or tape. If you have a pizza box or other items that are partially contaminated, you can recycle the part that is clean.

One item that surprised me was paper cups (e.g., coffee– Starbucks). They are NOT recyclable because they are coated to keep the cup from deteriorating. If you are interested in more information about recycling plastics, see the May 2022 Harbour Lights.

The next Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Day at 2662 Riva Road, Annapolis, is on June 11, 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. No future dates are available at this time. For additional information, please see the website https://www.aacounty.org/services-and-programs/ household-hazardous-waste-drop-off-days. I received a couple of questions about recycling a few items. Twist ties, plastic tabs and plant tags are not recyclable. Mulch, soil, fertilizer, dog food bags go into the trash. Also, it is important to try to put all items into recycle bins, except for large cardboard. The recycle men will not guess at your intentions. When in doubt – throw it out. Sue Hugues Civic Association of Heritage Harbour Homeowners

When in doubt – throw it out. The above info has been reviewed by Waste Management – Recycling Department.

Sue Hugues