Cleaning Up After Ourselves

Recycling is easy. So why don’t more consumers do it? A recent study revealed that every square mile of ocean contained an estimated minimum of 46,000 pieces of floating plastic. Even more plastic and other recyclables are buried in landfills. All that wasted plastic isn’t just bad for the environment. It’s also a waste of the petroleum used to manufacture it and contributes to the country’s continued dependence on foreign oil.

Of the estimated 86 percent of all plastic bottles that are produced yet never recycled, plastic water bottles top the list. Literally millions of plastic bottles wind up in garbage dumps across the country every single day. Yet these water bottles can be recycled.

Except for a few remote exceptions, curbside recycling is available in all parts of Snohomish County. Consumers don’t even have to leave home in order to recycle the most common types of plastic, paper and metals. In fact, because county recycling facilities don’t take plastics, curbside recycling — which is contracted by individual cities — is the best way to make sure common plastics and other materials aren’t

wasted.

There are three main private companies that are contracted by local cities to pick up garbage and recycling. Waste Management, Rabanco and Rubatino all offer to recycle a large number of products for those customers willing to take part. Costs vary, but homeowners usually get a better rate by accepting both garbage and recycling services.

Accepted types of plastic and other recyclables vary per company and by region. Rubatino is the most selective when it comes to plastics. Customers can recycle only screw-top plastic bottles with the tops removed, and plastic bottles marked with the 1 or 2 recycling symbol. This includes milk jugs and detergent bottles. Plastic water bottles are definitely accepted.

Waste Management is similar to Rubatino in that collectors will accept screw-top plastic bottles with the tops removed, and plastic bottles marked 1 or 2. But they also will take dairy containers such as those used for cottage cheese and yogurt. Lids or caps should be removed.

Rabanco customers have even more opportunities to recycle plastic. They can recycle all of the above, plus empty pill bottles and clean plastic bags that are bundled and not loose.

Each company’s Web site has a list of items that can or cannot be recycled. You can also call to ask specific questions or to have such a list mailed to you.

Plastic shopping bags have been much in the news. Proposed fees to try and cut back the use of these rarely recycled problem items have failed. Fortunately, more and more consumers are seeing the wisdom of having reusable cloth or canvas bags. These bags are available at low cost at most grocery stores. For those who haven’t made the switch to reusable bags, many stores have bins where customers can deposit their used plastic bags for recycling. Look for these bins in the store’s entry area; if you don’t see one, ask a store employee for its location.

Overall, Snohomish County residents are doing better with their recycling efforts and seem to be taking more interest in it. “The overall recycling percentage is creeping up,” said John Yeckley, Senior Planner with Snohomish County Public Works. “We get reports from the Department of Ecology and we also track our tonnage.”

Another area of increasing interest is in so-called compostable plastics. These aren’t really plastics at all. They’re a plant-derivative resin or polylactic acid (PLA). Compostable cups and cutlery are fine for putting in yard waste cans. One Rabanco employee did caution that, because these are new and not in common use, you should put a note out for the collectors so they know these are compostables and not standard plastic. Locally, the compostable PLA items are available through Cedar Grove Composting’s online store.

They are not available at the company’s onsite compost locations.

“Historically, the negativity around non-renewable plastics has been one reason people are interested in compostables,” said Susan Thoman, corporate business development director for Emerald Services Inc., of which Cedar Grove Composting is a part. “The other growing interest in our region comes from the fact that food in a compostable container does not have to be removed and the container then cleaned in order to go into a collection bin.”

Cedar Grove Composting also carries Eco-Safe compostable PLA garbage bags. Most homeowners buy these for under-the-sink kitchen compost pails. Unlike old wax-coated paper bags, the Eco-Safe bags don’t leak and are perfect for putting into the yard waste can. Once again, homeowners should alert the yard waste collector that the bag is compostable. Although the bags are marked, the markings are difficult to read on the clear shiny surface.

Compostable garbage bags also come in large sizes for those consumers who want to do away with plastic garbage bags that exist forever in a landfill.

There are many things that can’t be put into either curbside recycling or the trash. However, many of these restricted items can be recycled or at least properly disposed of at no cost. Even some large appliances can be recycled free-of-charge.

“Things that people really need to be aware of are the fluorescent tubes and the compact fluorescent light bulbs,” Yeckley said. “They’ve become so popular, but people aren’t aware that they can’t just throw them in the garbage.”

Fluorescent bulbs can dropped off for free at the household hazardous waste station at 3434 McDougall Avenue in Everett. They also take most kinds of batteries (including old car batteries), motor oil, used oil filters, anti-freeze and old fire extinguishers. A complete list is available from the Snohomish County Public Works Solid Waste Management Division.

Electronics should be recycled through the new E-Cycle program, while reusable household items can be offered up at the 2Good2Toss materials exchange. If there is any doubt about whether an item might be able to be recycled, Yeckley urges local consumers to contact Snohomish County Public Works Solid Waste Management for guidance. Even if they do not accept the items, they often know who will.

Snohomish County Public Works

Solid Waste Management Division

(425) 388-3425

www1.co.snohomish.wa.us/Departments/Public_ Works/Divisions/SolidWaste/

Cedar Grove Composting

Online store and information

www.cedar-grove.com

www.gogreenscene.com

2Good2Toss

Reusable materials exchange for Snohomish County

http://www.2good2toss.com/snohomish

Rabanco-Allied