Solid Waste E-News August 2021 

• Did You Know?
• Back to School: Buy Recycled
• Plastics -What Can You Recycle?
• Resident Recycling FAQ’s

Compostable plastic service ware items such as cups, take-out containers, and utensils are becoming a popular option to minimize plastic waste from take-out. These items look and feel just like plastic but are labeled as ‘compostable’ meaning they are made with corn, sugar, or another crop instead of oil. To be compostable, they must be labeled with one of the following:

• BPI Certified Compostable
• ASTM D6400 or D6868 
• TUV Austria Industrial or Home Compost

 
 If the item just says ‘compostable’, we recommend checking the brand/company’s website and ensuring that their products are certified meaning they undergo testing to ensure the product meets the standards of compostability. Email recycling@orangecountync.gov if you need assistance in determining the compostability of an item. Unless the item specifies ‘home compost’, do not put it in your backyard compost pile; It can only be composted at an industrial composting facility. Orange County residents can drop these items off at any of the 5 food waste drop-off sites in the County.
 
If you are not able to compost the item, discard it in the trash – do NOT recycle it. Although it looks like plastic, it is made with different materials and cannot be recycled with regular plastics.
 
If your restaurant or business offers compostable products but does not currently compost, please email recycling@orangecountync.gov to determine if you are eligible to join the County’s food-waste collection program.

Back to School: Buy Recycled

As schools reopen, you may need to shop for school supplies. Before shopping, read some tips below on how to shop sustainably this school year.
 
Don’t Buy What You Don’t Need
When shopping, think of items you already have and try to not buy things you don’t need. Instead of buying a brand new pack of pens, try using the various pens you already have in your home. Buy more lead to refill mechanical pencils instead of buying new ones. Reuse folders and binders year after year if they are still in usable condition.
 
It might feel traditional to buy a new pack of pens and pencils, binders, and notebooks at the start of every school year, but think about how much waste that generates annually. 30% of all waste generated comes from packaging and the majority of school supplies come in some form of plastic packaging. Using items you already have saves money, time and reduces waste!
 
Buy Recycled
For every 42 notebooks made with 100% recycled paper, one tree is saved! Save a tree by purchasing recycled paper this school year. This includes notebooks, composition books, and printer paper.
Aside from recycled paper, you can also buy products made with recycled plastics, such as pens, mechanical pencils, backpacks, and lunchboxes. Making products with recycled plastics helps extend the life of the plastic and lowers the use and production of virgin plastics.
 
Bring Your Own
Keeping a reusable water bottle and utensil kit in your backpack will eliminate using plastic bottles or utensils. There are several types of water bottles that are lightweight, durable, and can keep your water cold all day. There are also a variety of utensils you can choose from including sporks, silverware, silicone utensils, or bamboo utensils. You can use silverware you already have in your home and keep it in a small bag or pouch.
If you bring lunch to school, pack it in reusable containers. Sandwiches get squished in plastic bags, keep them in Tupperware to keep them fresh for longer! You can reuse peanut butter jars or yogurt tubs as containers for snacks. If you prefer bags, reusable silicon bags or beeswax wrap bags are great options. Additionally, pack a reusable napkin in your lunchbox too!

Plastics – What Can You Recycle?

Are you confused about which plastics you can and can’t recycle? You are not alone! Many residents are often confused about what plastics can be put in their blue cart. Here’s a breakdown of plastics and whether they can be recycled in Orange County.
 
The numbers with arrows around them found on plastic items are plastic resin codes that represent the type of plastic that the item is made from. Consumers often see the numbers with the chasing arrow symbol and assume the item is recyclable; the numbers do NOT indicate that the item is recyclable and was not made for consumer use.
 
The County previously used the numbers to educate residents on what plastics can be recycled but relying on the numbers became confusing. Plastics can take on various forms and shapes so it’s difficult to say, for example, “all #2’s are recyclable” when #2 plastic can be a milk jug or a plastic bag. Instead of focusing on the #’s that can be recycled, residents are encouraged to focus on the items themselves: ‘bottles, tubs, jugs, jars’ (plus #1 PETE Clamshells – which is our exception to the number rule).
 
Plastic Bottle: a container with the neck smaller than the base. Some common examples of what plastic bottles are used for: water, soda, condiments, shampoo, soap. Plastic bottles can be recycled. If the bottle has a pump, remove the pump and discard it in the trash before recycling the bottle.
 
Plastic Tub: a wide, open, and typically round container. Some come with a plastic lid, some have a peel-off top made from either plastic or aluminum. Some common examples of what plastic tubs are used for: butter, yogurt, salsa, hummus. These plastic tubs can be recycled.
 
 Plastic Jug: a container with the neck smaller than the base and a handle. Some common examples of what plastic jugs are used for: milk and detergent. These plastic jugs can be recycled.
 
Plastic Jar: a wide-mouth container that usually has a screw cap. Some common examples of what plastic jars are used for: peanut butter, jelly, pickles, and spreads. These plastic jars can be recycled.
 
Plastic Clamshell: a container consisting of two halves joined by a hinged lid. Some common examples of what plastic clamshells are used for: berries, salad mixes, to-go containers. If the clamshell is clear and #1 PETE, it can be recycled. Some clamshells, often to-go containers, are #6 and can NOT be recycled. #6 clamshells are clear and look just like #1 clamshells so it is important to check the # on the clamshell before recycling. If the lid separates from the container, as often happens with salad mixes, and is #1, you can still recycle the container. Make sure to snap the lid back on the container before recycling.
 
 Black Plastic: do not recycle any black plastics. Black plastic is problematic because it is not detectable by most sorting machines at recycling facilities. Additionally, there are limited uses for recycled black plastic because of its lack of color versatility, unlike clear plastics that can be turned into any color to meet the needs of the manufacturer.
 
Plastic Bags, Film, and Wrap: this plastic is stretchy and often called ‘soft’ plastic. Some common examples of what plastic bags/film/wrap are used for: grocery bags, Ziploc bags, bread bags, plastic shipping envelopes, product wrap on water/soda bottles. Plastic bags, film, and wrap are #2HDPE or #4LDPE and can NOT be recycled in your blue cart with your regular recycling. It can ONLY be recycled SEPARATELY with other plastic bags/film/wrap at the Eubanks Rd. and Walnut Grove Church Rd Waste & Recycling Centers or participating grocery stores. Look for carts specifically labeled for plastic bags and film. To find a drop-off location near you, click here.
 
Styrofoam and #6 Plastics: these plastics are NOT recyclable. #6 plastics are lightweight plastics that do not break down easily making them hard to recycle. Styrofoam is a type of #6 plastic. This type of plastic is commonly used for: egg cartons, take-out containers, cups, packing material, packing peanuts. (Note: these are not bottles, tubs, jugs and jars so you can’t recycle them anyways!)
 
‘Other’ #7 Plastics: these plastics are NOT recyclable. They represent the remaining miscellaneous plastics and come in a variety of forms. #7 plastics are commonly used for windows, eyewear, 5-gallon water jugs, CDs & DVDs, cups. (Note: these are not bottles, tubs, jugs and jars so you can’t recycle them anyways!)
 
Within the #7 ‘Other’ category are compostable plastics. These compostable plastics are labeled with ‘#7 PLA’ which indicates they are made with polylactic acid. If the item is not labeled with ‘PLA’ and just ‘#7’ or ‘Other’, then do NOT assume it is compostable – it must say PLA. These compostable plastics look and feel like regular plastic but can NOT be recycled. They must either be composted in an industrial composting facility (unless specified for home composting) or discarded in the trash.
 
Key takeaways: 

• You can recycle plastic bottles, tubs, jugs, jars, and #1 PETE Clamshells
• You can NOT recycle black plastics
• You can only recycle plastic bags/film/wrap separately at participating grocery stores or recycling centers
• You can NOT recycle Styrofoam and other #6 plastics
• You can NOT recycle #7 plastics

Resident Recycling FAQ’s

Q: Can prescription medicine bottles be recycled?
A: It depends. Most prescription bottles are too small to be recycled and will fall through the screens and end up in the glass. If the prescription bottle is a soda can size or larger it can be recycled. Make sure the bottles are empty and do not recycle any medications in the bottle.
For more information on what to do with old prescriptions and medications, click here.
Q: Do my food scraps have to be bagged to drop them off at one of the food waste drop-off sites?
A: No! Your food scraps and other compostable materials do not have to be in a compostable bag to drop them off. You can empty your kitchen top bin or bucket directly into the carts. If you do choose to line your bin with a compostable bag, ensure that it is certified compostable (biodegradable and eco-friendly do not mean anything).
Q: What should I do with old non-stick pans?
A: If it is a metal pan, you can recycle it with scrap metal at the Waste & Recycling Centers. Do NOT recycle the pan in your blue recycling cart. It can only be recycled separately with scrap metal.