Dear Recycle Lady,
Is today’s chewing gum really made of plastic? Can’t Believe It
Dear Can’t Believe It,
Believe it or not, it is true. Chewing gum is made of plastic. According to https://greatergood.com/blogs/news/gum-plastic-pollution, today’s chewing gum has a synthetic gum base that is “made from oil-based rubbers similar to those found in car tires, plastic bags and glue.” It is a cocktail of chemicals; “a lump of malleable plastic.”
According to Green Seas, gum bases include synthetic polymers such as styrene-butadiene, polyethylene and polyvinyl acetate. None of these chemicals break down easily, so today’s chewing gum is another plastic polluter.
Approximately 1.74 trillion pieces of chewing gum are produced every year, so nearly 2.5 tons of gum is chewed annually. When not disposed of properly, chewed gum can be found stuck on everything. It breaks down into microplastics that end up not only in our waterways and soil, but in our bodies.
You might want to think twice before chewing this lump of plastic.
Dear Recycle Lady,
For the last month or so I have been receiving requests for donations from several charitable organizations that include a penny, quarter or even a fifty-cent piece glued to the letter. I know the coin must be removed, but what about the large circle of glue left on the paper; must it also be removed before recycling the letter? Not A Donor
Dear Not A Donor,
The glue left on the letter after the coin has been removed should also be removed before recycling the letter. The glue is generally easy to remove by simply running your thumb or fingernail over it two or three times. The letter is then recycled with either office paper or magazines, depending on the type of paper used.
Dear Recycle Lady,
Can the metal tops that come on many glass bottles be recycled with steel cans? Are the small tops recyclable? Hopeful
Dear Hopeful,
Metal tops or lids that are not aluminum can be recycled with steel cans. If in doubt, test the top with a magnet to be sure it is steel. If it is a really small lid, less than 3 inches in diameter, place the lid in a large can so that the lid doesn’t fall on the floor during the bailing process.
Alternately, any size metal lid or top can be placed in the yellow box beside the aluminum can door. The yellow box is there during business hours only, mainly for electronics, but small steel items are also acceptable.
Good News from the Recycling Center: Last month, the Recycling Center recycled over 95.2 TONS, that’s 190,400 pounds, of recyclable materials: cardboard, #1 and #2 plastics, office paper, scrap metal, and electronics. Harmon Associates, the company that buys most of our recyclables, sends a large 18-wheeler truck to pick up the baled recyclables. Rest assured, your recycled items are not ever sent to the landfill. (That’s the rumor that circulates every year!) A company doesn’t pay the expense of a large truck to pick up baled recyclables and then take them to the landfill.
The only time the Recycling Center makes the decision to take recyclables to the landfill is when a collection is contaminated by the addition of improper materials. For example, one year, several very large, unrinsed cans of tomato sauce that were put in the steel cans bin spread tomato sauce all over the clean cans, contaminating the entire bin.
Interesting Information: Walruses are known for their moustache-like whiskers and long tusks, which they use for hauling themselves onto ice and for social interactions—basically, they’re multipurpose tools. Walruses live in shallow Arctic and subarctic waters.
Have questions about recycling or interesting information about recycling? Send questions or requests to Recyclelady7@gmail.com. Dear Recycle Lady is sponsored jointly by the Greenbrier Recycling Center and Greenworks Recycling.
