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Re:Cleaning necessary prior to recycling? (1 viewing)
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TOPIC: Re:Cleaning necessary prior to recycling?
#73
greeniac24 ()
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Cleaning necessary prior to recycling? 10/31/2007 Karma: 0  
Greeniac27 posted a question about whether it is necessary to clean plastic and styrofoam containers prior to recycling them. I had always been told to rinse out anything that I recycled, but the extent of the cleaning necessary I am not certain about. If anyone knows the answer to this it would be great if you could respond!
Thanks!
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#75
greeniac64255 ()
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Re:Cleaning necessary prior to recycling? 11/05/2007 Karma: 0  
I always thought that you had to wash out containers, but the city of Riverside says you don't have to. I think it depends on your local government's recycling set up. One thing I wonder about is whether we'd be better off conserving the water used for washing out containers because water takes a lot of energy to transport, especially in CA.

http://www.rivcowm.org/faq/faq_recycling.html#DoIhaveto
rinseoutmycansandbottlesbeforethrowingthemintotheRecycl
ingbins

Stockton says 'yes.' http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070717113
236AABTfAT

I do remember finding out that the recycling companies have a way of getting limes out of Corona bottles.

http://www.grist.org/advice/ask/2002/06/21/umbra-limewe
dge/index.html

Post edited by: greeniac64255, at: 11/05/2007
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#292
greeniac24 ()
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Re:Cleaning necessary prior to recycling? 04/09/2008 Karma: 0  
I actually just saw a tv green segment that said you didn't need to wash out containers because the recyling companies now "zap" contaminants, and the example used was the peanut butter jar as it's quite difficult to get the residue of think peanut butter out of those plastic containers! The segment was part of Live with Regis and Kelly's Green week, so I hope this information was accurate and applicable nationwide...
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#301
greeniac1217 ()
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Re:Cleaning necessary prior to recycling? 04/16/2008 Karma: 0  
Although it is not necessary in most cases anymore, it has been said that if you do rinse out your containers before recycling, the process is much easier at the actual recycling end.

All impurities have to be removed at the plant. I also wonder if we are actually using more water in the end?
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