Maya Ellison
Plastic is notoriously difficult to recycle, and it's important to follow the correct procedures to ensure your plastic containers are recycled properly. Plastic is usually downcycled into items like benches or carpets, which are often thrown into landfills at the end of their useful lives. This means that, unlike glass, steel, or aluminum, plastic is not part of a cyclical system. In Boulder, it is important to ensure that plastic containers are clean and uncontaminated before recycling. This is because food residue can put workers' health and safety at risk and destroy the value of recycled paper and containers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Plastic bags | Not to be used for recyclables; they jam the processing equipment and can cause the entire recycling facility to shut down |
| Plastic containers | Should be rinsed and emptied before recycling; food residue, liquids, and odours can affect the value of recycled paper and containers |
| Plastic lids | Should be thrown in the trash unless they are plastic screw-top lids, which can be replaced on empty containers |
| Plastic tubs, jugs, and jars | Accepted for recycling if emptied and rinsed |
| Plastic cups | "Souvenir" drinking cups made from #2 or #5 plastic are accepted for recycling; #1 plastic drink cups, such as for iced coffee, are not |
| Plastic clamshell containers | Accepted for recycling if liners are removed; no styrofoam |
| Plastic-coated paper products | Not accepted for recycling; this includes paper to-go cups, frozen food boxes, and ice cream containers |
| Plastic film or thin plastic films | Not accepted for recycling in your normal recycling bin |
| Plastic wrappers and packets | Not accepted for recycling in your normal recycling bin; some companies may accept them if kept separate and shipped directly |
| Plastic foam | Polystyrene (PS) block foam is accepted for recycling at CHaRM in Boulder if kept separate, clean, and dry |
| Plastic packaging | Not designed to be recycled due to toxic additives, dyes, and chemicals; it contaminates new products |
| Plastic bottles | Accepted for recycling if emptied and rinsed; liquid can attract insects and critters |
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What You'll Learn
- Plastic containers should be scraped clean and rinsed before recycling
- Liquids and food residue can destroy the value of recycled paper and containers
- Plastic bags should be reused or recycled at CHaRM in Boulder
- Plastic is a harder-to-recycle material because it loses quality during recycling
- Clean, uncontaminated recyclables are easier to sort and save time and money
Plastic containers should be scraped clean and rinsed before recycling
In Boulder, recycling continues to be one of the most important actions each person can take to protect the environment, increase climate resiliency, conserve natural resources, and create green jobs. To keep recycling thriving in Boulder County, it is important to follow the guidelines for producing the cleanest, most marketable recyclables possible.
Clean, uncontaminated recyclables retain more value, are easier to sort and process, and save time and money. In fact, the cleaner your containers, the more they're worth on the recyclables market. Municipal facilities first sort recycling by type (paper, several kinds of plastic, tin, etc.), and then by quality. Workers separate clean recyclables from soiled ones, into bales. If the bale is of lower quality, there is less revenue coming back into the system from the sale of recyclables, which helps pay for the program.
When it comes to plastic containers, it is important to empty and rinse all containers before throwing them in the recycling bin. This includes removing any food residue and liquids. Plastic lids and caps should be thrown in the trash, as they can create dangerous flaws in new glass bottles. However, plastic screw-top lids can be replaced on empty containers. It is also important to avoid flattening containers, as automated sorting equipment may mistakenly send them to the wrong side of the facility and contaminate the process.
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Liquids and food residue can destroy the value of recycled paper and containers
Liquids and food residue can indeed destroy the value of recycled paper and containers. In fact, food in your recycling bin is considered a big deal. Your recyclables go to the Boulder County Recycling Center (BCRC) where people and automatic sorting systems separate materials so they can be sent to their respective markets. Food residue on recyclables puts workers' health and safety at risk due to mould, pests like rodents and insects, and unpleasant smells in the facility.
To prevent this, be sure to empty your containers by scraping out all food into your compost bin or trash, or pouring out liquids. Containers can be cleaned without wasting water by scraping out food with a spatula or a paper towel. If that doesn't work, you can fill the container with water, let it sit, and then give it a shake before pouring out the leftover liquid. It's okay if there are some remaining water droplets when you put them in the recycling bin.
Recycling contamination occurs when materials are not properly cleaned, such as when food residue remains on a plastic yogurt container. Containers contaminated with food cannot be recycled. Clean, uncontaminated recyclables retain more value, are easier to sort and process, and save time and money. The cleaner the materials, the more valuable they are to recyclers.
In addition, liquids left in containers can spill onto paper and cardboard, making them unrecyclable. Paper can easily absorb oil and other residues. This is why it is important to empty containers of liquids completely before recycling.
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Plastic bags should be reused or recycled at CHaRM in Boulder
Plastic bags are a significant contributor to environmental pollution and should not be thrown into the recycling bin with other recyclables. Plastic bags can contaminate an entire batch of recyclables, and they often get caught in sorting machinery, requiring a costly and dangerous shutdown for removal. Therefore, it is essential to keep plastic bags out of recycling bins and instead reuse or recycle them at the Eco-Cycle CHaRM (Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials) in Boulder.
CHaRM is a facility dedicated to recycling hard-to-recycle materials, including plastic bags, and is located at 6400 Arapahoe Rd in Boulder. It is open Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm and is closed on Sundays. There is a minimum $3 facility-use fee for each walk-up customer or vehicle bringing drop-off materials, but this fee is waived for customers arriving by bicycle.
To prepare plastic bags for recycling at CHaRM, ensure they are clean and dry, with large labels and stickers removed. Plastic bags accepted at CHaRM include shopping bags, newspaper bags, bubble wrap, plastic-only mailer envelopes, product overwrap, zip-top bags, dry-cleaning bags, and shrink wrap.
It is important to note that plastic bags are not the only plastic items that should be kept out of recycling bins. Plastic containers, such as bottles, tubs, jugs, and jars, should also be kept separate from other recyclables. Before recycling, these containers should be scraped or rinsed to remove any food residue, which can contaminate the recycling process and pose health and safety risks to workers.
By properly cleaning and separating plastic bags and containers for recycling at CHaRM in Boulder, residents can play a crucial role in protecting the environment and ensuring a more sustainable future for their community.
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Plastic is a harder-to-recycle material because it loses quality during recycling
Plastic is a harder-to-recycle material because it loses quality during the recycling process. This is due to the long polymer chains that make up plastic materials becoming slightly shorter each time they are melted down. As a result, recycled plastic is almost always of lower quality than primary plastic. The presence of over 10,000 different additives used to give plastics different colours and technical properties further complicates the recycling process. Plastics of the same type often contain different combinations of additives, resulting in recycled material with unpredictable and often suboptimal additive combinations. This process of downcycling means that plastic is usually recycled into something like carpet or a bench, an item that is typically landfilled at the end of its useful life, rather than being recycled back into the same product.
The difficulty in recycling plastic is further exacerbated by the fact that most plastics fail to meet basic recycling criteria. Plastic packaging often contains toxic additives, dyes, and chemicals that can contaminate new products. Additionally, the constant introduction of new packaging with different resin types, shapes, colours, and chemical additives makes it costly and complicated to collect and sort. The lack of market demand for recycled plastics also contributes to the challenge of recycling plastic. Unlike other industries such as aluminium, glass, and steel, the plastic industry does not buy back enough recycled plastics. On average, plastic beverage containers contain less than 10% recycled content.
The issue of plastic recycling is a complex one, with many factors contributing to its difficulty. While some companies are working to increase the recyclability of their products, such as Coca-Cola's switch to clear plastic bottles, the overall trend is concerning. Plastic production is expected to triple by 2050, while the percentage of plastic being recycled continues to decrease. This growing production and consumption of plastic, coupled with the challenges of sorting and recycling it, have led to a significant amount of plastic ending up in landfills.
To address this issue, it is crucial to increase market demand for secondary plastics. By creating a need for recycled plastic as a feedstock, companies can incentivise the recycling of plastic waste. Additionally, individuals can play a role by reducing their consumption of single-use plastics and properly cleaning and sorting their recyclables, making them more desirable to recycling facilities. However, it is important to note that even with diligent sorting and cleaning, the inherent properties of plastic make it a challenging material to recycle effectively.
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Clean, uncontaminated recyclables are easier to sort and save time and money
One of the most important things to keep in mind when recycling is to ensure that your recyclables are clean and uncontaminated. This means that containers should be empty and rinsed before being placed in the recycling bin. Food residue and liquids inside containers can destroy the value of recycled paper and affect the value of containers. It can also create unpleasant smells in the facility and attract insects and rodents. Additionally, recycling facilities cannot handle plastic bags because they jam the processing equipment and can cause the entire facility to shut down.
To ensure your recyclables are clean and uncontaminated, follow these simple steps:
- Scrape out all food residue and pour out liquids.
- Give the container a quick shot of water, shake it up to loosen any remaining food or liquid, and then pour it out.
- Reattach plastic caps to plastic bottles. Due to their size, loose plastic caps will be sorted as paper, but attached to the bottle, they will be recycled.
- Do not flatten containers (except for cardboard boxes). Automated sorting equipment separates flat materials from dimensional containers, and flattened containers may be mistakenly sorted as paper.
- Separate caps and lids from glass containers. Metal lids can create dangerous flaws in new glass bottles. Recycle metal lids loose, and throw plastic lids and caps in the trash.
By providing clean and uncontaminated recyclables, you can help save time and money for the recycling facility and ultimately for taxpayers. Clean recyclables are also more desirable and have a higher market value. So, the next time you're getting ready to recycle something, take a few extra minutes to make sure it's clean and uncontaminated!
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, it is important to clean out plastic containers before recycling them. Containers with food residue can put workers' health and safety at risk and affect the value of recycled paper and containers. Empty your containers by scraping out all food into a compost bin and rinsing them with water.
Give each container a quick shot of water, shake it up to loosen any remaining food, and pour it out. Then, recycle the container.
Make sure to reattach plastic caps to plastic bottles before recycling them. Plastic lids and loose plastic bags should be thrown in the trash as they can get caught in the sorting equipment.
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