Dear Recycle Lady,
Recently, you wrote about proper disposal of prescription medicines. What about prescription bottles? Are they recyclable? Avid Recycler
Dear Avid Recycler,
Although these bottles are not recyclable locally, Mathew 25: Ministries (m25m), a Cincinnati-based international humanitarian aid and disaster relief organization, accepts donations of washed, unlabeled, empty plastic pill bottles and over-the-counter (OTC) pill bottles of all sizes. These bottles are sent to developing countries where they are reused in the dispensing of medications. Plus, this helps our environment by keeping these bottles out of landfills.
Too often, pills dispensed in developing countries are wrapped in paper, which doesn’t protect the medication from loss, moisture or damage. It also doesn’t protect children either as the pills are easily accessible.
Before sending your bottles to m25m: (1) Remove labels, leaving no glue or sticky residue. Some labels peel off easily, others require soaking overnight in water. Goo-Be-Gone or lemon essential oil is helpful for removing any sticky residue. (2) Wash bottles and lids in hot soapy water to remove any chemical residue from medicines. (3) Rinse and dry the bottles thoroughly. (4) Replace plastic caps (child-resistant or not child-resistant) on clean, dry bottles. (5) Separate prescription bottles from OTC bottles and place in separate resealable plastic bags labeled “Clean Bottles.” Mail bottles to Mathew 25: Ministries, 11060 Kenwood Road, Blue Ash, OH 45242. See https://m25m.org/pillbottles or https://earth911.com/diy/reuse-pill-bottles/ for more specific instructions.
Dear Recycle Lady,
What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? Concerned for Oceans
Dear Concerned for Oceans,
Located between Hawaii and California, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is an accumulation of ocean plastic that is twice the size of Texas, an accumulation that began as early as the 1950s. Currents from all over the world carry the plastics that gather there, forming a massive floating island.
An estimated 1.15 to 2.41 million tons of plastic enter the ocean from rivers every year. Some of this plastic is less dense than water, so it will not sink once it is in the water, and thus, it accumulates in the patch. The plastics that are stronger or more buoyant are transported by converging currents over long distances, finally accumulating in the patch and elsewhere. Ocean waves and heat from the sun cause the plastics to degrade into smaller and smaller microplastics.
The ongoing effect of these microplastics on marine life is currently being studied. In 2015, a team of scientists consisting of a fleet of 30 boats, 652 surface nets and two flights over the patch conducted the most elaborate sampling method ever coordinated. By sampling different locations within the same time period, a more accurate estimate of the size of the patch and the amount of plastic drifting was obtained.
Dear Recycle Lady,
I am cleaning out the garage and have several half-full cans of paint. Do you know of any place that accepts cans of usable paint? Clean Garage
Dear Clean Garage,
ReStore, a nonprofit that accepts and resells items to benefit Habitat for Humanity, said it would accept your cans of partially used paint. They are located outside Lewisburg on Route 219 N., across from Rosewood Cemetery and the Ford dealership. (1431 N. Jefferson Street).
If you have any empty cans of paint that are dry, they can be recycled at the Recycling Center in the steel container, not in the bin. Go to the aluminum can door and ring the buzzer. Someone will come to assist you.
If some of your cans contain only a small amount of paint, mix the paint with kitty litter, sand or sawdust to thicken it, replace the lid and put it in the trash. Never put a can of any kind, or any amount of liquid in the trash without thickening the liquid. The landfill’s permit prohibits it from accepting any free-flowing liquid.
Tuesday, July 1, began the 15th annual Plastic Free July challenge. The challenge is to choose one thing each day in July that reduces your use of single-use plastic. Last year, 174 million people accepted the challenge worldwide, making a huge impact on the environment.
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.
