Dear Recycle Lady,
I enjoyed your column with the information on paper. It made me wonder if dollar bills, which are called “paper money” are really made of paper? Wondering
Dear Wondering,
Until the early 1900s, U.S. currency was printed on paper made of cotton and linen fibers. However, this paper money wasn’t durable and after about 18 months of use, it was too dirty or too torn to use. In the days of Benjamin Franklin (1700s), torn bills were repaired using a needle and thread!
The U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing made the first bills to be printed on 75% cotton and 25% linen in the early 1900s. By 1928 all small-size bills were printed on it.
The next change in our currency was in the 1990s when larger, off-center portraits, watermarks, color-shifting ink, and enhanced anti-counterfeiting features were added to the bills. These bills last about four and a half years, with $10 bills being the shortest-lived bill and $100 bills the longest. The largest bill ever printed was a $100,000 Gold Certificate that was used for transactions between Federal Reserve Banks and the U.S. Treasury.
Homes throughout the Delaware Valley are powered by electricity produced by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s burning of old bills in a waste plant located in Chester, Pennsylvania.
In case a vending machine rejects your old bill, just pop it into a microwave about 20 seconds to make it crisp again.
In 2011, an experimental $10 bill on a thin flexible plastic polymer began being tested to improve durability and security features. These bills, made of plastic, will be more durable and have complex holographic security features. Time will tell when, or if, they will be put in circulation.
Dear Recycle Lady,
I arrived at the landfill about 11:33 last Saturday. I was informed the landfill closed at 11:30, and I was turned away. Seems to me that Saturday would be a busy day to dump, and the open hours would be longer. Had To Take My Trash Home
Dear Had To Take My Trash Home,
The hours for opening and closing county landfills are set by the Public Service Commission (PSC), not the local landfills. We regret that you were inconvenienced and unable to dispose of your trash, but our hours of operation are beyond our control.
If you would like to comment on this policy, the address is: 201 Brooks Street, Charleston, WV 25301
Dear Recycle Lady,
Do you know where in this area fabric/textiles can be recycled? I have sheets, blankets and clothing that are not unusable, but I don’t want to send them to the landfill. I would love any advice you have. Thank you. No Waste
Dear No Waste,
Thanks for your email. There is an organization to which you can sent any used fabrics whether they are clothes, sheets or blankets. The organization is called Take Back Bags (TBB). Information can be found at www.trashie/take-back-bag-trashie. The cost of one bag is $15 (they are on sale now), and it is a giant size bag, plus they pay the return postage. Everything you listed could be put in one bag, plus towels, shoes, and handbags. It all can be shipped to Take Back Bags for free. After you fill the bag scan the QR code on the bag to get a free shipping label and return it by UPS.
According to their website, each full Take Back Bag saves 1,596 gallons of water, 151 pounds of carbon emissions and 15 pounds of textile waste. Their research has shown that approximately 85% of all textiles end up in landfills. Take Back Bags are a great solution.
For a local solution, towels, sheets, and blankets can be taken to the Greenbrier County Humane Society, 151 Holliday Lane, Lewisburg.
Kudos to the Williamsburg 4-H Club for completing the Trex challenge and earning a bench for their community!
Just a reminder: pet food bags, mulch bags and frozen food bags are unacceptable. All bags should be clean and dry. Many thanks to all of you who are supporting the Trex challenge.
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
