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Recycling & Composting

This is a quick gathering of information on recycling and composting, including links to resources in our area and links to online information sources. Perhaps the most significant thing we can do for the environment, as gardeners, is to divert our household "waste" into compost or into recycled materials for another use. 

HOW-TO INFO

I've been getting questions about what can be composted, what can be recycled (with the VB recycling system) and what must be discarded.  (Did you know you can recycle those plastic water bottles but not their caps???) 

Check the following links for handy, useful info on each of these topics.  Remember that adding non-recyclables to your bin may destroy the value of the entire batch and that not everything "organic" is safe to compost!  Learn more by clicking on any of these links
:

COMPOSTING 101

How to Make Compost

Keep America Beautiful. Learn how you can recycle oil, batteries, electronics, whatever.... and what activities will be in your area from now through May (and beyond) at Keep American Beautiful.

SPSA Recycling Information

Every week I see Recycle Bins neatly rolled to the curb with non-recyclable materials sticking out of them.  Just a refresher, from the SPSA website, here is the materials list for the Virginia Beach recycling bins.  (It is also embossed on the lid of the curb container - did you ever notice it?)

Recycle the Following Items

Paper

  • Clean newspaper
  • Broken down cardboard boxes, clean, dry and unwaxed
  • Chipboard, such as cereal and cracker boxes
  • Unwanted mail including catalogs and magazines
  • Telephone books and paper grocery bags
  • Clean newspaper
  • Broken down cardboard boxes, clean, dry and unwaxed
  • Chipboard, such as cereal and cracker boxes
  • Unwanted mail including catalogs and magazines
  • Telephone books and paper grocery bags

  • Glass

    • Clear, green and brown glass bottles and jars (remove and discard lids)

    Plastic

    • The only type of plastic which is acceptable for recycling are bottles with a neck and spout (remove and discard lids)

    Metals

    • Aluminum, steel/tin food and beverage cans

    Pour or wipe out cans and bottles. Place recyclables loosely in your container.

    Townhome residents with the 18-gallon recycling bin container service may place any additional recyclables in paper bags next to their container.

    Please don't place the following items in your blue recycling container:


    Household Garbage
    Waxed Cardboard (for example, frozen food boxes)
    Juice Boxes
    Milk Cartons
    Food Containers (such as carry out containers and pizza boxes)
    Yard Waste (grass, leaves or branches)
    Plastic Bags
    Plastic Toys
    Plastic Pools
    Plastic Motor Oil Containers
    Ceramic or Ovenware Dishes
    Bottle Caps or Lids
    Styrofoam
    Packing Peanuts

    So where CAN we recycle some of these other materials? What can be done with those cardboard pizza boxes that, yes, have cheese stuck to them... or all those waxed milk cartons?  If you have solutions and ideas, please share them! Send to: usefulgardener@gmail.com and we'll keep posting information.

    How much waste did you generate this month?