April 26, 2001

This biweekly column tries to answer some of the most commonly asked questions about recycling, composting and the Town's solid waste program.

Q I put out an open barrel full of sticks from my yard, separated by some distance from my garbage, but they put it in the truck with the garbage instead of picking it up as yard waste. I know someone else who had the same experience. Aren't we supposed to be able to use open barrels? Do I have to buy the yard waste bags?

A: You did exactly the right thing. Open barrels should be fine. The DPW is looking into the problem.

Q. I am still confused about what sort of paper products we can put into the recycle bin. Pasta boxes? Paper towel tubes?

A: Yes to both. Unsoiled newspapers, magazines, food boxes (crackers, cereal, pasta), office paper, junk mail, wrapping paper (if not foil), paper bags and corrugated cardboard should all be recycled. Pizza boxes aren't allowed, as they are presumed to be soiled, and the cardboard egg crates aren't allowed either. Corrugated cardboard needs to be cut or folded into pieces no more than 30" on a side, since the compartment on the side of the recycling truck cannot accommodate larger pieces.

Q Plastic bottles and jars have a recycle number on the bottom. Is the system the same for glass?

A: Glass doesn't have a recycle marking on it. You can put green, brown, or clear jars and bottles into the bin. Don't put in items like broken windows or Pyrex.

Q. Recycling takes too much time. What can I do about it?

A: Here's a suggested way to speed it up. Get several brown paper grocery bags every two weeks. Many people find the ones from Trader Joe's, Bread & Circus, or Wilson's convenient because they have little handles. Keep one in your recycle bin, and each day when you get a newspaper, put the previous day's paper into that bag. Keep a bag by each desk, so when you are going through your mail, reading notices from school, or generating printer paper mistakes you can put the paper directly into the bag. Whenever you finish a box of crackers or cereal, immediately remove the plastic bag insert. Flatten the box, and put it into the nearest bag (your desk, the newspaper bag, or wherever).

Clean cans and jars and bottles and cartons as you use them up, with your daily dish load. Some people put cans and jars directly into the dishwasher, but this may depend on what sort of dishwasher you have. If you're worried about using a lot of water to wash them by hand, use the rinse water from your pots and pans.

Toss all the non-paper stuff into the bottom of the bin day by day.

On the night before your pickup, make sure any corrugated cardboard meets the size requirements. If it's too big, a utility knife is fast, or just fold it down. No more than 30" on a side is allowed.

Take the bin to the curb. Collect any full bags from your desk areas and take them out. If the bin is too full for them to fit inside, lean them against the bin.

That's it. If you have done a couple of minutes of work daily, the only time it takes it on recycle night is cardboard cutting and carrying the stuff out.

REMINDERS: The next Household Hazardous waste collection day is May 19.

There will be a composting demonstration on May 23 at the plant sale sponsored by the Lexington Field & Garden Club.