Editor:
It was good to find out more about what actually happens to recycled materials ("The Recyclable Journey," Aug. 23). It would also be good to find out more about what can currently be recycled, since that seems to be changing. Apparently things like six-pack, milk and egg cartons that were not acceptable before are now. But pizza boxes are not. Some updated information on this, perhaps printed in the Journal or sent out with the garbage bill, would be useful.
Charles Minton, Bayside
Editor:
We live outside city limits and have trash/recycle service through Humboldt Recology.
The recycle stuff is single stream into blue plastic bags. Then a trash truck (same as garbage) picks up everything and compacts it all. They sort the smashed bags back in Eureka and ship to Willits via the outsourced third party.
How much smashed glass contaminates the cardboard, and how much cross-contamination takes place when it's all smashed together? This makes a large volume of recyclables that get tossed into landfill as they are unfit to sort. I'm guessing this untold story would blow the lid off as folks around here will not stand for say 20 to 35 percent trash from their recyclables. Has anyone followed up on what's going on with this one-bag mess we ship out as recyclables?
Mark Cortright, McKinleyville
[Editor's note: Recology Humboldt County is experimenting with same-truck collections in Garberville and in the Fieldbrook/Blue Lake area to keep rates down, according to the company's general manager, Mike Leggins. Some of the blue bags do break and some recyclables are lost, possibly around 10 percent, Leggins said. The company is trying out some heavier bags and plans to reassess at the end of January, after a full year of same-truck collection, he said.]
more from the author
-
Flash Fiction 2015
Fun-sized fiction
- Nov 26, 2015
-
OMG
- Apr 25, 2013
-
Will the Arts Survive?
- Apr 25, 2013
- More »
Latest in Mailbox
Readers also liked…
-
'Harmful to Men'
- Jan 6, 2022
-
The Elf on the Shelf is Begging You Not to Put Him Out This Year
- Dec 8, 2022
