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FAQs
Please
note that you can visit our Recycle
Sleuth page to view more recycling questions that have more in-depth
explanations.
1. Where
do they buy back aluminum?
2. Is it OK to put envelopes with plastic windows in with
the mixed paper?
3. Where can you recycle brown paper bags?
4. Can you recycle clear or green glass vases?
5. Which types of plastics are the ones I should be
recycling?
6. Do you have to remove the tops off of plastic bottles?
7. If you can recycle a #1 plastic soda bottle, why
can’t you recycle everything with a #1?
8. Do you need to remove the plastic ring that is left
around the neck of a plastic bottle when you remove the cap?
9. Why can’t prescription or vitamin bottles be recycled?
10. Why do you have to separate the different colors of
glass at recycling drop-off centers?
11. What
does recycled content mean?
Answers:
1. Check our sections on Metals.
2. Yes, envelopes with the plastic windows can be put
into the mixed paper recycling bins.
3. You can
put brown paper bags in the mixed paper recycling bins as long as they
don’t have food remnants in them.
4. No, you cannot put
clear or green glass vases in with the other glass recycling since the
glass in vases, windshields, light bulbs, and windows are made up of a
different type of glass. You
can recycle glass jars and bottles in the glass
recycling bins, but separate the colors.
5. All
the plastic recycling receptacles in the area only accept plastic drink
bottles and jugs with a #1 or #2 on the bottom of them. You can find out which type of
plastic you have by looking on the bottom of the container and find the
number inside the recycling symbol.
This number will tell you which type of plastic you have. Note:
The Knox County Recycling Centers are accepting all types of plastics:
#1-7, and different plastic forms other than bottles (no styrofoam).
6. Yes, you
need to remove the tops off of plastic bottles since the tops melt at a
different temperature and will disrupt the recycling process if left in
the load. Note: Because of the way plastics are being transported
from APR, the company receiving the plastics is handling the removal of
the caps. So if you are recycling plastics through Knox County you do
not need to remove the lids.
7. The numbers on
the bottom of the containers identify the type of plastic resin. This number does not inform you
how the product was manufactured.
The different ways that a plastic item is made affect the melting
temperature of the item, which in turn affects how the item is recycled (Ecocycle). Note: The Knox County
Recycling Centers are accepting all types of plastics: #1-7, and
different plastic forms other than bottles (no styrofoam).
8. No, you
are not required to remove that plastic ring. Recycling centers are allowed a small amount of
“contamination” in the loads, which accounts for things like these pesky
plastic rings (Ecocycle).
9.
Prescription and vitamin bottles go through different
manufacturing processes than other plastic bottles. Therefore, they do not have the
same melting temperature as other plastic bottles (Ecocycle). Note: The Knox County
Recycling Centers are accepting all types of plastics: #1-7, and
different plastic forms other than bottles (no styrofoam).
10.
Different color dyes are used to make the three different colors
(green, clear, and brown) in glass bottles and jars. These pigments are permanent and
cannot be removed from the glass.
Therefore, it is necessary to separate them upon collection.
11.
Recycled content refers to the amount of pre- and post- consumer
recovered material introduced as feedstock in a material production
process. (Earth
911)
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