CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/RECYCLESMART CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/RECYCLESMART

I’m writing about the “Earth Talk” article published in the Recorder on Sept. 12, entitled “Why recycling some small objects isn’t a good idea.” The title is correct but there were some inaccuracies in this article.

Let’s start with what the article got right: the title. At Materials Recycling Facilities (MRFs), recyclables are sorted, baled and sold for making new products. Objects that are smaller than three inches in diameter can get jammed in recycling sorting equipment, which can cause safety hazards for workers, slow the sorting process, and result in expensive equipment repairs. Small items are also more likely to become litter or trash when they fall out of recycle bins, trucks, or conveyor belts at the recycling facility. Also, MRFs sort 75 to 300 tons of material each day, so small items can get lost in the mix, contaminating other materials.

For these reasons and more, small items like plastic utensils, straws, and loose bottle caps are not accepted in local recycling programs. The recycling industry standard is that an item must be larger than a credit card (or 3 inches in diameter) to be sorted effectively.

Here’s what the article got wrong: the authors claim that caps should be removed from plastic bottles and purposely thrown in the trash, which is inaccurate. Several years ago, the entire recycling industry agreed on a new “caps on” recycling policy. Now, the industry guidance is to empty liquids, rinse the bottle (briefly, if needed), put the cap back on the bottle, and put the capped bottle into a recycling bin. If a cap is loose or can’t be put back on a bottle, it should be placed in the trash and not in recycling. For milk, cider, or water jugs with a snap top cap that doesn’t screw on, bend the cap slightly and push it inside the jug.

The article claims that the cap and the bottle being two different plastic resin types is a problem for recycling facilities. This concern was addressed several years ago with the use of “float/sink” tanks. The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) explains: “Although closures (caps) may be made of a different material than the bottle, bottles are ground into flake before being vigorously washed in the recycling process. The washed cap material is then separated from the bottle material during a water bath float/sink process. PET (bottle material) will sink, but PP and HDPE (cap material) will float. Both materials are then captured and recycled into new items.”

PET plastic recycler PetSTar offers a video that shows how different types of plastic are separated in a float/sink tank: https://vimeo.com/148915676.

To reinforce the nationwide “Caps on” message, manufacturers are making changes to their packaging. Some soda and water bottles now have a phrase such as “Recycle bottle with cap on” printed on the cap. Coca Cola recently announced that caps on their bottles sold in the U.K. will have a tethered cap that is attached to the bottle. Representatives said that this will make it “easier than ever for consumers to recycle the whole package, ensuring that no cap gets left behind.”

How to get local, accurate and current recycling information: 65 western Mass municipalities (including all municipal recycling programs in Franklin County) send recyclables to be processed at the Springfield MRF. Recycling guides are available on the Springfield MRF website. Go to springfieldmrf.org and click on “What’s Recyclable at the MRF?”

Another resource for recycling information is Recycle Smart, a MassDEP initiative to educate about recycling. The centerpiece is the Recyclopedia search tool at https://recyclesmartma.org. To find out if an item is recyclable, type it into the search box; the results will reflect statewide recycling guidelines.

Amy Donovan is the Program Director at Franklin County Solid Waste District (FCSWMD) and serves as a Franklin County Representative on the Springfield MRF Advisory Board. She can be reached at amy@franklincountywastedistrict.org.

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