Job Discussion Forums

[Black_Beer_Man]

I was just wondering about recycling plastics such as food wrappers, plastic cookie trays, egg cartons and foil / plastic food sauce envelopes?

I get that they must be separated from burnable trash because burning plastic releases harmful chemicals into the air.

Ideally, we should rinse this kind of packaging so that the food does not rot and smell.

But, how clean should they be? Clean enough to actually recycle (very very clean) or just clean enough not to stink (with most of the food out) because they will not recycle the plastic, but just want it separated?

Thanks for your answer!

[mitsui]

Well I just make sure there is no food or sauce on the plastic.
My wife just rinses quickly but it is still taken, but someone will have to clean it later.
Kawasaki finally started recycling plastics last September.

[Black_Beer_Man]

I have done a little reading on plastic "recycling" and the truth is that very little (if any) plastic is "recycled".

Plastic mineral water bottles are collected and either "downcycled", made into a less useful product like plastic pellets for packing and shipping items, or they are shipped to developing countries like India where they sit in someone's backyard.

The best thing we can do is not buy mineral water or other drinks that come in plastic bottles. Cans are better because they are actually recycled back into cans.

[Pitarou]

I'm collecting all mine ready to launch on a rocket into the sun. It's the only way to be sure.

But seriously: the advice we get is that you should put plastics that are in any way greasy or oily in the burnable rubbish. So if, for instance, you buy a bag of individually wrapped cookies, you can recycle the outer bag, but not the inner wrappers.

And don't worry about the nasty chemicals that come from burning them. A modern, properly functioning incinerator shouldn't release any toxic pollutants.