Here’s a list of some common household disposable items that may or may not be recycled in Brunswick:
1. Oral health care products
Toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes are problematic because while the bulk of the tubes may be made of plastic, they can contain other materials such as a thin coating of aluminum, and these are difficult or impossible to separate at the recycling facility. Tubes and toothbrushes also contain a mix of different kinds of plastics (hard handle, soft bristles), which can also not be separated at the recycling facility. All need to be thrown into the trash.
For the dedicated recycler, metal tubes, glass jars and tins of toothpaste are more widely recyclable than their plastic counterparts. See litterless.com/journal/toothbrushing for some excellent additional information on specific products and sources.
2. Dental floss
While the floss itself is usually not recyclable (see Litterless.com for some examples of floss that can itself be recycled), the container often is recyclable. If it’s flexible, look for the triangle on the bottom. If it’s rigid, it’s likely not recyclable. The spool and the guides inside are not recyclable.
3. Bamboo products
Bamboo has recently become popular for products that can not otherwise be recycled, and are promoted in Litterless.com. At least in our current system, they unfortunately also cannot be recycled. In most of the available literature, bamboo utensils, toothbrushes, etc. can be composted, but not recycled. That may yet become an option for us in the Brunswick area, but it is not an option for the backyard composter, because the composting bin does not generate high enough temperatures to break down the treated bamboo. In my backyard composter, a set of eating utensils sat for a year with no effect on them whatsoever. Local commercial composters also do not take bamboo products.
4. Plastic caps and lids
The issue with plastic caps (besides needing to be recyclable plastic themselves) is their size. If they are too small, they fall through the sorting machinery, causing jambs, and resulting in getting swept up and trashed anyway. The “rules of thumb”, are:
1. To be recycled loose, a cap or lid must be at least 2 inches across.
2. It’s safe to presume that the cover or lid is the same material as a plastic container on which you find it.
3. The processors want containers for easier, more effective, sorting so leave the cap on the container, regardless of the size of the cap, and all will be well.
4. While we are not recycling glass, large plastic or metal caps, such as mustard jar covers can still be recycled, as long as they are at least 2 inches across.
5. When we get to recycle glass again, the metal caps will stay on the glass jars. They are easily removed by magnets when the jars are crushed.
The Recycle Bin is a weekly question and answer column on what to recycle, what not to recycle, and why, in Brunswick. The public is encouraged to submit questions by email to brunsrecycleinfo@gmail.com. Harry Hopcroft is a member of the Brunswick Recycling and Sustainability Committee.
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