Recycling Mistakes Most People Make

In the U.S., nearly 260 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) are generated annually. Nearly 90 million tons of this MSW are recycled or composted, for a recycling rate of close to 35 percent. It's a good start, but there's clearly room for improvement, especially because many of the items Americans throw in their recycling bins are not actually recyclable. Many people toss questionable items in their bins hoping to give them a shot at being recycled, but the reality is that certain non-recyclable items will only be tossed into the trash bin at the recycling center. Worse, some of the items may end up contaminating entire loads of recyclables that would otherwise have gone on to other uses. During a visit to Denver's recycling facility, and specifically the waste management sorting facility, The Denver Post identified some of the top mistakes well-meaning recyclers make. Six Top Recycling Mistakes Recycling requirements vary by municipality, but in general you can use these suggestions from Denver, Colorado to determine if you're making common recycling mistakes. To verify the recycling guidelines in your area, contact your local facility. 1. Plastic Bags Shouldn't Go Into Your Recycling Bin. Municipal recycling facilities often do not recycle plastic bags, which can get caught in their machinery causing damage. Many grocery stores, however, have collection bins where you can drop off plastic bags to be recycled. 2. Avoiding Putting Your Recyclables Into Trash Bags. If you put your recyclables into closed trash bags, they'll get thrown straight into the trash. This is because sorters don't have time to open them, and they're also considered to be a safety hazard. 3. Greasy, Wet or Food-Soiled Items Cannot Be Recycled. Grease, liquids (even water) and food are considered contaminants. If they make it down the sorting line without being tossed out, they can contaminate an entire load of recyclables, causing it to be thrown out. Examples of items that cannot be recycled include: • Foil potato chip bags • Greasy pizza boxes (if you rip off the unsoiled cardboard lid, that can be recycled) • Foil lids from yogurt containers (however foil food trays and pie tins may be accepted as long as you remove as much food as possible) • Paper cups with shiny coatings, such as hot-serve coffee cups • Paper food bowls with plastic lining (such as those used for Chipotle burrito bowls) 4. Very Small Items Cannot Be Recycled. The Denver Post described it as "anything smaller than a Post-it note" cannot be recycled, because it's too small to be sorted properly. This includes plastic bottle caps, unless you screw them onto the bottle (be sure to empty all liquid out first, or the bottle will be discarded). 5. Don't Flatten Milk Cartons. Waxy milk cartons can be recycled, but if they're missed via hand sorting an infrared optical sorter will pick them out (and certain other three-dimensional items) from the mix. If you crush the cartons, they may be missed. 6. These Items Can't Be Recycled. Anything that enters a recycling center that cannot be recycled is considered a contaminant and will be thrown out. If too many contaminants are found in a bundle of recyclables, it runs the risk of being rejected. Examples of non-recyclable items in Denver include: Scrap metal Plastic that does not hold a shape Christmas tree lights Wire hangers Electronics (there are specialized centers for this) Auto parts Propane tanks Mattresses Bowling balls Bicycles Source: The Denver Post, 4/30/17.

10 Things You Should Never Put Down the Drain

Your kitchen sink consistently rates as one of the dirtiest places in your home. According to NSF International, a public health and safety organization, your dishrag and kitchen sink top the list of places in your home with the most germs. Your kitchen sink may be a source of frustration when it becomes clogged, or may be an area through which you inadvertently are polluting the environment. The plumbing in your home may seem like a mystery since it's usually hidden behind walls and under the sink. Once you understand how it works in your home, and how it's treated when it leaves your house, you'll have a greater ability to maintain your plumbing pipes and reduce your impact on environmental pollution. How Plumbing Works The plumbing in your home is a little like the arteries and veins that transport nutrients and oxygen around your body. The term plumbing is actually used to describe any system that moves fluids from one area to another. Plumbing may be used for sanitation, heating and cooling and water supply, but isn't limited to those functions. In your home, most of your plumbing pipes are located under your sinks or in your walls as they transport wastewater out of your home and deliver drinking water into the house. Fluid is transported using a system of pipes, fittings and tanks, any of which may become obstructed with bits of whatever is going down your drain. Plumbing follows the laws of gravity, and has two subsystems that don't cross. One delivers clean water in and the other transports wastewater out. When water enters your home, it's under pressure. As it exits, water drains through pipes that are angled downward. When the pipes become caked with grease, bits of food or other objects, it impedes the flow of water out of your home. Don't Flush These Items Down the Drain As what you put down your drain has an impact on both plumbing in your home and the environment, it's important to understand how your plumbing works and how to reduce damage done to your own property and the environment. You may accomplish these goals by never putting the following items down your drain. And you may reduce your financial risk, as plumbing repairs can be costly. 1. Grease - Grease sticks to the inside of your pipes, both on your property and in the street. Over time it can block the entire pipe. Instead, scrape grease into the trash. Any oils are a major contributor to drain clogs, which includes mayonnaise, salad dressing, butter, cooking oils and fats from cooking meats, such as bacon, beef and pork. Motor oil and transmission fluid shouldn't go down your sink drain or toilet either. 2. Egg Shells - Egg shells are composed of a hard outer shell and a thin membranous inner layer. The shells are hard on the blades of your garbage disposal, reducing the overall life of the appliance. The thin membranous layer may wrap around the grinding apparatus and slow the motor until it burns out. The shells may compound the development of other blockages. 3. Coffee Grounds - These don't harm your garbage disposal and may help absorb odors, but they do accumulate in your pipes and increase the risk you'll experience a clogged drain. Coffee grounds do make an excellent addition to your compost pile. 4. Expandable Foods - Foods like pasta and rice continue to expand as they soak in additional water in your garbage disposal and drain pipes. Pastas are often made with semolina flour, which becomes sticky and easily gums up your pipes. 5. Flour - Have you mixed flour and water together? Basically, this produces glue, sticking to the sides of the drain pipes and capturing any other little bits of garbage along the way. 6. Produce Stickers - You wouldn't think of using your sink to dispose of your grocery list, but those produce stickers often fall off when you're washing fruits and vegetables. They often include bits of plastic and are coated with adhesive, neither of which are water-soluble. They may be caught in grease coating your drains, get caught in pumps and hoses or block the screens and filters at your water treatment plant. 7. Paper Products - Toilet paper is developed to eventually break apart in water. Other paper products do not break apart after being flushed down the toilet or after going through the garbage disposal in your sink. Products like paper towels, feminine hygiene products and cotton balls should go into your garbage can instead. Each of these items have a high absorbency rate, making them perfect for clogging your pipes. 8. Biodegradable or 'Flushable' Products - Many of the products advertised as flushable or biodegradable may meet specific standards for the term, but often increase your risk of drain clogs. For instance, flushable cat litter continues to be highly absorbent in the drain. Cat feces may carry the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, which is not destroyed in water treatment and is a threat to marine animals. Wet wipes are another serious problem in your sewer drain. They don't disintegrate properly and often combine with other products to produce a large super-knot. New York City has spent more than $18 million in five years to repair equipment problems triggered by so-called "flushable wipes." 9. Paint and Cleaning Products - While they are in liquid form, these products both increase your risk of developing a drain clog and pollute the environment. Your city will have different requirements for latex and oil paint, so it's important to get that information from your municipality. Conventional cleaning products often contain phosphates, antibacterial agents and other compounds that don't often get removed at your water treatment plant. 10. Medications - It might seem logical to flush your expired or unused medication down the toilet or crush it in your garbage disposal, but research demonstrates that a high number of those medications do not get removed at your local wastewater treatment plant and then enter the environment. Even your tap water likely has a small amount of medication you're drinking every day, as neither wastewater treatment nor clean water treatment before it gets delivered to your home is able to remove medications. Source: NSF International, 4/12/17.