Reduce, reuse, recycle. Most of us know this sustainable mantra all too well. Recycling is an action that can provide us with our own small sense of satisfaction and fulfillment in “doing our part,” but it is also a necessary habit to better the conditions of our planet.
However, we’ve all found ourselves standing over the trash and recycling receptacles, debating which bin we should use to discard our item. Thankfully, the City of Winston Salem values sustainability and the process of recycling. They have prepared these incredibly helpful tips for locals to use so that each household can reduce, reuse and recycle...the right way!
City of Winston-Salem’s most important recycling tips:
1. Don’t bag your recyclables! Bagged material is treated as garbage at the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) since it cannot be guaranteed that all items inside are recyclable.
2. Don’t put plastic grocery bags in your blue curbside bin. Instead, recycle plastic bags at grocery stores in their receptacles by an entrance.
3. Winston Salem recycles based on the shape of the container instead of by number. Plastics with a wider neck or mouth than base are not acceptable to recycle (i.e. yogurt containers, sour cream containers, etc.).
4. Don’t recycle pizza boxes. Winston-Salem’s recycling program is unable to accept pizza boxes due to grease stains or food residue.
5. Items that may tangle cannot be recycled! This includes items like hoses, cords, or holiday lights.
6. No diapers, clothing or other textiles can be recycled. Clothes can be dropped off at consignment shops or thrift stores. Or, you can bring them to PEA’s very own Goodwill Swap Shop at our Annual Earth Day fair on Saturday, April 25, 2020 from 10 AM to 4 PM at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds!
The items that cannot be recycled are prohibited because they interfere with the processing once the items reach the MRF. These helpful tips can make a huge difference in the amount of waste your household is able to divert through recycling. Please share this with others and follow us on social media at @peancorg for more informative, green living blog posts!