Are there myths concerning recycling?

RECYCLING– one of the most important acts we can do to protect our environment—has its own set of myths. In an effort to debunk the biggest recycling myths, R.I. Resource Recovery is shedding light on some of the most common misconceptions:
Myth #1 – Thieves can steal my identity from papers I recycle.
While identity theft occurs, it is not as widespread as the media leads you to believe. By shredding important documents and credit card applications, you can safeguard your identity and still recycle. Simply, put the shredded paper in a paper shopping bag, staple the bag closed, and place the bag in your green bin. If you are overly concerned about concealing your name and address, rip the labels and magazine covers off and shred those too. Paper is a valuable commodity and needs to be recycled.
Myth #2 – A triangular recycling symbol means it is recyclable.
This one is tricky, but it is false. Most plastic containers are stamped with the triangular “chasing arrows” symbol on the bottom. The number inside the triangle identifies what type of plastic the container is, but it’s not a green light to recycle it. In Rhode Island, only plastic bottles and jugs with the numbers 1 and 2 can be recycled. Labels don’t need to be peeled off, but remember to throw the cap in the trash – it’s made from a different type of plastic resin that can’t be recycled.   For the other 8 myths, visit http://greenlivingri.homestead.com/Recycling_myths.html

 

Post Holiday Recycling

This year I made it a point to put anything recycleable in the appropriate bins for pickup.  Most wrapping paper is recycleable and so are holiday cards.  And with having 3 young children – I had a lot of cardboard.

The town I live in provides a yearly calendar to all its’ residents.  I had remembered seeing something in the past outlining what residents should do with excess recycleables from the holidays that don’t fit into the provided bins.  In the calendar I discovered the instructions on what to do.  Excess paper/cardboard can be placed in those yard waste bags and that extra pickup crews would come around the week after Christmas to pick up this excess. 

I did not notice many of my neighbors doing this – but hopefully they did recycle as much as possible.  I also know that my town has a plan to pickup christmas trees for recycling.  What are other towns doing?