Four hours after the factory shut down, the worker who had crawled into the depths of the conveyer belt finally finds the plastic bag that caused all the commotion. Carefully removing the bag, the worker wriggles free.
“It’s dangerous work,” says Lane County Waste Reduction Specialist Sarah Grimm. “It’s time consuming and the whole time the whole sort quality is compromised.”
That it’s OK to drop plastic bags in comingled recycling bins is just one dangerous misconception when it comes to recycling. Some items can be recycled but not in the comingled bin.
For example, under Oregon law, “white goods” such as stoves, washers, dryers and refrigerators are banned from landfill. However, Waste Management has 15 different transfer stations located throughout Lane County that will accept them with a $15 fee.
Other landfill no-nos that show up from time to time include televisions, computers, monitors and laptops. Grimm says that six of the transfer stations will take those items with no fee and, of course, so will companies like Goodwill. Grimm also advises not trashing florescent lights. Instead, take them to recycling locations.
Alkaline batteries should be thrown in the trash, but any battery that does not say “alkaline” can be taken to any of the transfer stations, as well as some companies like RadioShack.
Potential clog-causers also include hoses and hangers. Grimm says that plastic doesn’t always mean something is recyclable. The recycle insignia on plastic does not mean that it is recyclable either; it merely tells you the type of plastic it is.
Grimm says there is a guide to all Lane County recycling, including plastics, in the brown pages of the DEX phone book. She stresses that cups and frozen food boxes cannot be accepted due to their linings.
“Your recycler does not decide what is recyclable and what is not. We are responding to what manufacturers use,” Grimm says. “It’s all going to be based on their customer base — what customers are going to be willing to pay for.”
Despite what can go wrong with mixing up recyclables and difficulties with manufacturers, Grimm says she focuses on the positives.
“The potential as far as capturing and using our materials here at home is great,” Grimm says.
Lane County Waste Management holds master recycler courses that have trained more than 700 people in the community since the program started. Not only that, but recycling creates jobs.
“Recycling is an industry,” Grimm says. “You may send materials overseas but you cannot export the jobs.”
Think twice before you put plastic bags, frozen food boxes or paper cups in your comingled recycling bins. Take a look at your phone book to get a refresher on what you can and cannot recycle, or check out the info at http://wkly.ws/1p0. If you don’t educate yourself, you may end up doing more harm than good.
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519