Fwd: [SB] Curbside Recycling – What is “Mixed Paper”?

[Angie De Soto]

FYI

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: G. William Claus <cla...@verizon.net>
Date: Mon, Mar 21, 2011 at 11:26 AM
Subject: [SB] Curbside Recycling – What is “Mixed Paper”?
To: sustainable...@googlegroups.com

Sustainable Blacksburgers,

Blacksburg offers curbside recycling to residents of houses and apartment complexes with four units or less.  Currently, the Town contracts with Waste Management, Inc. for this service.  Waste Management collects two categories of items when placed separately at the curb: MIXED PAPER and COMMINGLED CONTAINERS.  In this e-mail, we review what is and what is not acceptable as MIXED PAPER.    [ For an authoritative reference, CLICK HERE. ]

ACCEPTABLE - All clean, dry paper that can be torn - including: newspaper, cardboard, office paper, magazines and catalogs, junk mail, phonebooks, paperboard (cereal boxes, shoe boxes, etc.), construction paper, colored paper, envelopes (with and without windows), tissue paper, and wrapping paper. 

Notes About Cardboard: Cardboard boxes must be flattened.  Cardboard may also be cut to fit into the mixed-paper container.  If the cardboard does not fit into the container, you may cut it into pieces no larger than 3’ x 3’, and then place it under the mixed-paper container.  (Pieces of cardboard larger than 3x3’ will not fit into the recycling truck bin.)  

NOT ACCEPTABLE – Paper with food residue is not acceptable.  Plastic-padded envelopes, waxy or laminated paper, food to go – such as pizza - boxes, carbon paper, paper towels, Kleenex-type tissue, used paper plates and cups, and hardback books are also not acceptable. Non-paper items are also not acceptable.  Please do not place unacceptable items in with acceptable mixed paper.  These will contaminate the entire truck load and cause it to be placed with trash in the landfill.

A Note About Rain:  Wet paper will NOT be collected (but the truck operator may place the wet paper in the trash if that container is available).  So please cover your mixed paper bin and any separated cardboard if you suspect rain, so that your mixed paper can be recycled.

______________________________________________________

 

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE – Many Blacksburg citizens would like to save food-preparation scraps, non-eaten foods, and food-contaminated paper products – such as plates, cups, and pizza boxes, so that these items can be sent to a regional composting facility.  Such an activity would keep a large quantities of compostable materials out of our landfill and return a valuable resource to regional gardens and landscapes.  If you agree, why not call the Blacksburg Office of Sustainability at (540) 558-0786 or e-mail them at rec...@blacksburg.gov, and tell them that you would support the recycling of compostables if this service was offered.

 

--
If you wish to be removed from the Sustainable Blacksburg mailing list, do NOT use the "reply" button. Instead, PLEASE send an e-mail to cla...@verizon.net and type the word UNSUBSCRIBE on the SUBJECT LINE of your message.

--

Angie De Soto
Campus Sustainability Planner

Virginia Tech Office of Energy and Sustainability:  http://www.facilities.vt.edu/sustainability/
30-B Sterrett Facilities Complex

Blacksburg, VA 24061

Office: (540) 231-7358

Cell: (540) 553-1512

ade...@vt.edu