Are you guilty of trying to recycle these six things?
Recycling is one of the easiest ways to make you feel like you’re doing good for your environment. It’s also, in my estimation, the very least we can do for consuming plastics, paper and glass packaging and ‘disposable’ products, i.e. razors, toothbrushes.
But just throwing something in the recycling bin doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doing your part properly. Check out SBS’s list of six things commonly found in the recycling bin that definitely shouldn’t be there.
Banana peels. Hard to believe, hey?
Paper towels. The treatment they are given to make them stronger when wet also makes them inappropriate for recycling.
Used tissues. No brainer – no one wants your snotty tissues in their office paper.
Paper coffee cups. Disposable coffee cups have a waterproof coating inside that disqualify them from being recycled. The plastic lids, however, are A-OK!
Tea bags. Again, why??
Scrunch-able plastics. This includes plastics bags and food wrappers, such as chocolate bar and chip packets. Plastic bags also bring the added issue of being caught in the recycling plant’s machinery.
Note: if you put your recycling in a plastic garbage bag and throw the whole thing in recycling, the sorters will simply pick up the whole bag and toss it in the landfill garbage.
Read more at sbs.com.au.
Thanks for the the recycling topic. Prompted me to check with the local council to see what can/can't go in the 'yellow' bin here. Its sticker has long since worn off.
Definitely not guilty of tossing out banana peels or tea bags ... too valuable in the garden :)