Dear Recycle Lady,
Haven’t I read in the past that all bubble wrap products are recyclable? The larger air pillows have recycling symbols on them, but the sheets or rolls of smaller honeycomb bubbles do not. I see that your Greenbrier Recycling Center Guidelines say that bubble wrap products aren’t accepted there, but are they recyclable at store drop-offs for plastic bags? Thank you. Questioning my Memory!
Dear Questioning my Memory,
Yes, according to treehugger.com, all bubble wrap can be recycled. Kroger, Lowes, and Walmart all accept bubble wrap in their drop-off bins that recycle grocery bags, newspaper bags, cleaner’s bags, and bread bags. Bubble wrap is a low-density polyethylene #4, although you probably won’t find a recycle symbol on it. As with all recyclable plastics, be sure the bubble wrap is clean and dry. An alternative to recycling the bubble wrap is to take it to PostNet on Route 219 North, across the road from the old ABB building. PostNet reuses bubble wrap, air pouches, brown paper, and Styrofoam peanuts for packaging and shipping packages.
Dear Recycle Lady,
What is a Green Hotel? Traveler
Dear Traveler,
Green Hotels are hotels that have achieved a certificate of sustainability. However, some hotels are greener than others. There are LEED-certified buildings that are constructed with sustainability in mind. There are hotels that have made green improvements and hotels that give back by volunteering or making donations. Unfortunately, there are some hotels that use greenwashing techniques in order to appear to be green but actually are not. Earth911 says that a few major hotel chains have shown a concerted effort to green their operations, including Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, and Starwood Hotels. There are numerous certification programs available to help travelers choose green accommodations, including Green Globe, Green Key Global, Travelife, Earth Check, and GreenLeaders. Some programs are more rigorous than others and these are ranked from highest to lowest. For more information on green hotels, go to www.earth911.com/travel-living/green.
Dear Recycle Lady,
My favorite tea kettle is no longer usable because the handle is too loose. The kettle is made of stainless steel. Can it be recycled with steel cans? Tea Drinker
Dear Tea Drinker,
Your stainless-steel tea kettle can be recycled, but not with steel cans. When you go to the Recycle Center take your tea kettle to the door marked for aluminum cans and push the call button. Someone will meet you there and take your tea kettle to the box of steel items.
Good News: New Zealand is officially the first country to ban single-use plastic produce bags at grocery stores! The measure went into effect July 1st, and it’s expected that the ban will eliminate 150 million plastic produce bags from circulation each year. Hopefully, other countries follow suit! (fto.com)
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.
