Dear Recycle Lady,
Is insulation covered wires such as AC cords, cable TV wires, or solid copper romax cords recyclable? If so, what bin do they go in? Have Lots of cords
Dear Have Lots of cords,
The covered wires you mentioned come under the category of electronic wastes, better known as e-wastes and all are accepted at the Recycling Center. Other e-wastes such as extension cords, phone chargers, power adaptors, other wires, cords, or USB cables are also recyclable. Most household wires are made with copper or aluminum, which are highly recyclable. Be sure to remove any clips, or tags before taking the cords to recycling. The outer insulation of e-wastes is usually plastic, rubber, or PVC, all materials that take decades to break down and can leach harmful substances into the environment when they are put in the landfill. Many big-box stores, like Best Buy, have designated drop-off locations for e-wastes. Place all e-wastes taken to the Recycle Center in the yellow bin on the porch that has the Aluminum Cans sign.
Dear Recycle Lady,
What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? I read a little about it, and it doesn’t sound good. Need Information
Dear Need Information, According to Wikipedia, The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a garbage patch of marine debris in the central North Pacific Ocean between California and Hawaii. Created by ocean currents and human activities, it spans about 620,000 square miles of swirling plastic, which is about twice the size of Texas! More than half of this plastic is less dense than the water, meaning that it will not sink once it encounters the sea. It is estimated that the mass of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is more than 100,000 tons of plastic – the equivalent of over 740 Boeing 777’s! Marine life such as sea turtles mistake the debris for food and ingest the plastic and Albatross parents unknowingly feed it to their chicks. All of which is harmful for the marine life. Seals, dolphins and other marine life get tangled up in it. Currently there is a collective effort to clean up the Garbage Patch. Lead by groups such as The Ocean Cleanup, government agencies, international collaborations and countless individuals are dedicated to removing plastic, combating marine plastic pollution, and preventing further accumulation in our oceans.
Dear Recycle Lady,
Can waxed cardboard be recycled? Wax is Good
Dear Wax is Good, Waxed cardboard is corrugated (multi-layered) cardboard that is lined with polyethylene to prevent it from getting soggy. Frozen foods and ice-packed food products need to be packed in waxed cardboard as wax prevents the cardboard from getting soggy. Waxed cardboard can’t be recycled due to the difficulty in removing this waxed coating. Additionally, the wax can clog machinery and contaminate other recyclable materials.
Good News: New Zealand has added five new marine reserves, which is the largest expansion of marine protection in more than a decade. The no-take zones cover a total of 76,000 acres, protecting
vital marine habitats for endangered species. No-take zones, also known as marine reserves or no-take marine protected areas (MPAs), are designated areas in the ocean where human activities that extract or damage marine resources, such as fishing and mining, are prohibited. These zones aim to protect marine ecosystems and promote biodiversity by allowing marine life to thrive without human interference.
Have questions about recycling, or interesting information about recycling? Send questions or requests recycleladywv@gmail.com. Dear Recycle Lady is sponsored jointly by the Greenbrier Recycling Center and Greenworks Recycling.
