Dear Recycle Lady,
For curbside pickup of recyclables, I put aluminum cans in the red recycle bags and plastic bottles in the yellow recycle bags. What do I use for other recyclables such as newspapers, magazines, office paper and steel cans that I put out for curbside pickup? Beginning Recycler
Dear Beginning Recycler,
Thanks for using the red and yellow bags. Newspapers, magazines, office paper and steel cans all need to be bagged separately as they all go in separate bins at the Recycle Center. Most any bag can be used, except a black bag, as black bags will be picked up for trash.
Newspapers can be bundled and tied with heavy string. When recycling newspapers or office paper (including junk mail), be sure to take out the glossy slicks as they will contaminate recycled newspapers or office paper. They go in the magazine bin.
It is also a good idea to put recycling bags in a separate location from trash, perhaps on the other side of the driveway. If you need red bags (aluminum cans) or yellow bags (plastics) for curbside pickup, they can be picked up at Open Doors, which is directly across the street from the Lewisburg post office. There is a blue-gray bin outside the office containing these bags. Take what you need. Curbside pickup is available free for Lewisburg city residents who have a contract with Greenbrier Valley Solid Waste for trash pickup.
Dear Recycle Lady,
What are Fair-Trade products? Fair is Important
Dear Fair is Important,
Fair-Trade, sometimes written fair trade, Fair Trade, or Fairtrade, began as a global movement to assist workers and farmers in developing countries to get access to export markets and to receive a fair price for their products. Fair-Trade products all have agreed-upon standards that have been independently certified. To be certified as a Fair-Trade USA product, a company must make products to the highest standards, provide sustainable livelihoods and provide safe working conditions for workers and farmers. They also must provide for people taking care of the animals. The first Fair-Trade USA dairy company was Chobani. The Fair-Trade America label was created in 2019 and has seen a 46% increase in Fair-Trade awareness in the U.S.
According to www.fairtradeamerica.org, nearly 2 million farmers and workers, in 100-plus countries, make 30,000-plus products that carry the Fair-Trade trademark.
Dear Recycle Lady,
Every afternoon I take my dog for a walk, and I have been using the black plastic dog waste bags provided by the city of Lewisburg. Are there any environmentally friendly alternatives for these plastic bags? Dog Walker
Dear Dog Walker,
Walks are good for both you and your dog. And using doggie waste bags makes them even better, as you are leaving no waste for others to deal with. Today, there are quite a few choices for environmentally friendly dog waste bags. There are vegetable-based bags, corn and plant starch bags, paper-based bags made of wood pulp, compostable bags and biodegradable bags. Check out www.treehugger.com/best-compostable-poop-bags-5188712 for excellent information on doggie waste bags.
Keep in mind that biodegradable is mostly meaningless, as it is a marketing term, and that compostable, in this case, means compostable in a commercial facility, not in a home composter. However, the biodegradable bags will decompose in the landfill. Putting dog waste in home composters risks adding parasites and germs that are harmful to humans and other animals, as home composters generally do not have sufficient heat to kill off pathogens.
Good news: Coral reefs, sometimes called “the rainforests of the sea,” are unique ecosystems with huge benefits. The largest coral reef in the world, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, has garnered a lot of attention as conservation measures have increased to protect it.
Have questions about recycling or interesting information about recycling? Send questions or requests to recyclelady@greenbrier-swa.com. Dear Recycle Lady is sponsored jointly by the Greenbrier Recycling Center and Greenworks Recycling.
