National Recycling Day, aka America Recycles Day

by R Neil Ferguson
Lewisville City Council Place 2

It likely is not on your calendar, but this is National Recycling Day, aka America Recycles Day. So the idea is to become better informed about recycling. And I encourage you to do just that. Here are some thoughts from me, meaning I did not get it from some website. In fact, it is just common sense if you understand the recycling line.

When your recycling materials hit the sorters (a mix of equipment, technology and humans), you can help streamline the process by making sure you are not sending mixed materials -- that is, paper with plastic attached, or vice versa, or a box you have stuffed with mixed materials.

For example, that Kleenex box that has a plastic film to make the tissues come out one at a time is mixed material. If you will pull the plastic film out, you make the paper ready to use.
Another example is the hard plastic "clamshell" cases with cardboard inserts. Pull them apart, and you make the plastic and the paper ready to go their separate directions. It really does reduce the human labor to make things ready for their different piles.

BTW, those cardboard boxes? Spend a little time cutting cardboard boxes into panels instead of sending the whole box. That makes them ready to bundle.

Also, look carefully at what you throw into the recycle bin. Styrofoam is not accepted, including packing peanuts. Neither is the results of your document shredder, unfortunately. Putting these item into the recycle bin just slow the process down.

That is my 2¢. Now, if we could just get the City of Farmers Branch to do curbside pickup, maybe they would not need to expand the Camelot landfill . . . .