Dear Recycle Lady,
I want to recycle a large number of manila file folders and the larger hanging brown folders that hold the manila file folders. Which bin do I deposit them in? Cardboard? Thanks. Organizer
Dear Organizer,
Manila file folders can best be recycled with cardboard. The large brown folders, also available in other colors, can only be recycled with cardboard. Before putting the manila folders or the brown folders in the cardboard bin, be sure to remove any metal or plastic latches, as well as any elastic bands attached to the folders as they will contaminate an entire load of cardboard.
Dear Recycle Lady,
What is the difference between a landfill and a dump? I always thought they were the same thing. Is it a Landfill or a Dump
Dear Landfill or Dump,
A landfill and a dump are definitely not the same thing. A landfill must meet certain state and federal requirements for isolating waste from the environment until it is safe. It also must meet requirements for long-term management and restoration of the waste site. Any waste site that does not meet these criteria is a dump.
In West Virginia, it is illegal to create an open dump, burn waste or bury waste on your property. The Greenbrier County Solid Waste Authority oversees the Greenbrier County Landfill and meets all the criteria for landfill management.
Locally, waste is picked up by Greenbrier Valley Solid Waste or Lusk Waste and taken to the Greenbrier County Landfill for proper disposal. Please note, Greenbrier COUNTY Solid Waste and Greenbrier VALLEY Solid Waste are two distinct organizations. Greenbrier COUNTY Solid Waste is a branch of West Virginia state government that oversees landfills and recycling. Greenbrier VALLEY Solid Waste is a privately owned garbage and trash pickup business. Need trash pickup or to rent a dumpster? The Greenbrier VALLEY Solid Waste is the one to call. Have questions about recycling or the landfill? The Greenbrier COUNTY Solid Waste is the one to call.
Dear Recycle Lady,
Why isn’t the Recycling Center accepting foil and pans anymore? I thought aluminum foil was one of the recyclables that could be recycled over and over again without losing quality. Distressed Recycler
Dear Distressed Recycler,
The main reason the Recycling Center is not accepting aluminum foil and aluminum pans is that we have no buyer for the small amount that is deposited in our bin. To have enough foil and pans for a buyer to consider coming to the Recycling Center, we must collect an extremely large amount of clean, dry aluminum foil and pans. This would require that donated foil and pans be stored until that amount is collected. Unfortunately, that amount of storage space is not available.
A secondary problem is that all foil and pans placed in the bin are not clean and dry. Foil with only a few bits of food or grease can contaminate clean foil and pans and makes them unrecyclable.
Have you considered washing and reusing your foil? Foil is also a good scissor sharpener. Fold up a piece of aluminum foil four or five times, depending on the strength of the foil, then cut through the folds several times. Your dull scissors will be as sharp as you want them to be. Another use of foil is to hang a few strips of aluminum foil in the branches of your fruit trees to help keep birds away from the fruit on the trees. Plus, balled up aluminum foil is a good way to remove the gunk left after grilling those delicious steaks!
Bad News: An estimated 8 to 13 million metric tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year — the equivalent of one garbage truck’s worth being dumped into the sea every single minute.
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.
