Up your recycling odds

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Recycling the weird stuff...

Even the Bettiest among us runs into some recycling conundrums now and again. So I called Sonny Beale, University of Virginia Recycling Program Superintendent who’s been there over 24 years, for a little help.

1- Bulk styrofoam (actually expanded polystyrene): the bane of environmentalists everywhere. McIntire Recycling, as well as any packing stores in town, will accept and reuse the peanuts, but not the bulk pieces. Sonny reports Styrofoam, in fact, can be recycled over and over again, but requires a heavy-duty expensive condensifier which Cville doesn’t have. (Any interested buyers out there? According to Beale, it’s a hot commodity)

2- Plastic Peanut Butter Tub: don’t waste copious amounts of water cleaning the jar. Give it to your favorite pet dog to lick it clean! Then recycle as normal.

3- Whipped Cream (or other liquid) aerosol can with the top broken off: As long as it’s empty, non-flammable, non-hazardous waste those can be recycled as steel. If it’s full, no go. Also, if it contained any highly toxic fluid( for example auto fluids like antifreeze, transmission fluid) or pesticides, it’s landfill-bound.

4- Hard plastics without numbers: sorry! They actually can be recycled, but not in this area.

5- Clothing that is stained, torn or otherwise unwearable? Get creative and use them at home to wrap small gifts or use as cleaning rags.

6- Prescription Bottles: Call your local pharmacist to inquire about take-back programs or wait to hear about the next big take-back event at Martha Jefferson Hospital (last year in May) where they properly dispose of medicines and recycle the bottles.

7- Half-full steel paint cans? Take eco-friendly cat litter or shred yesterday’s newspaper into bits to soak up all unused paint, then recycle as normal steel. Most are now plastic and can be recycled when empty.

Hope that increases your recycling odds.

Betty