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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
Plastic Metals 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.
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