Single stream recycling, introduced last year in the South End, has been so successful it is now being put in place city-wide. Single stream allows us to mix all of our recyclable materials together - we no longer have to separate paper from plastics, etc.
A reminder that materials to be recycled should be put into clear plastic bags. Use of the blue bins is discouraged, and the blue bins will eventually be phased out. 'Open' containers like the blue bins allow papers to blow out and are easily tipped over, scattering material all over the sidewalks. If you have the space you can use a trash can with a lid to hold your recyclables. "The can must be no larger than 32 gallons and have a lid. Call 617-635-4500 to request an official sticker to label one of your existing trash cans as a recycling container." Clear plastic bags can be found at Foodies and Shaws (the bags from Shaws ones are a little thicker). Do not use the blue bags that some stores sell as recycling bags - the city will take those bags as trash.
Remember:
- use clear plastic bags for recycling
- do not put recycling into paper bags curbside - they will blow over or get knocked over
- Break up cardboard. The city won't take your large cardboard boxes as recycling, plus passers by will throw their trash in them.
- Pizza boxes are now recyclable, but put them in the recycle bag - don't just lay them on the sidewalk.
- Do not put your returnable/depost cans and bottles in the recycle plastic bag or in your trash. The trash pickers will rip open bags to get them. Put them in an open bag next to your recycling or put them out in some other way.
The city lists the following items as recyclable - all can go in your plastic bags.
The following items can be mixed together in your recycling cart or container as of July 1, 2009. Leaving plastic windows, staples, paper clips, and spirals in paper is okay. Please rinse out cans, bottles, and jars. Leaving labels and lids on is okay.
* Newspapers with inserts
* Magazines and catalogs
* Junk mail, colored paper
* Flattened food boxes
* Paperback books
* Pizza boxes (empty)
* Flattened cardboard boxes
* Telephone books
* Milk and juice cartons
* Juice/soymilk boxes
* Glass jars and bottles
* Aluminum and tin cans
* All plastic containers
* NEW ITEM! Spiral cans (potato chip/coffee/nut cans, etc) (these are the pressed cardboard with metal ends type of cans)
* NEW ITEM! Rigid plastics (laundry baskets, buckets, toys, etc)
2 comments:
A nice change would be the recycling truck coming before the garbage truck so that the garbage truck can take everything the recycling truck leaves behind instead of leaving the garbage on the sidewalk for another week.
We're working with DPW to see what changes can be made to trash pickup overall. Having both trucks arrive at the same time would also be nice. (Having recycling two days a week would be great as well.) Trouble is Trash and Recycling are different contracts, and several trucks from both services have different routes on any given trash day, so here it's trash then recycling, but another street it's recycling then trash.
Your suggestion has been noted and I'll bring it up at the next DPW meeting...
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