Grasping the nuances of plastic recycling can often twist your average joe into a pretzel of confusion. Between decoding the symbols, numbers, and what's fit to be tossed in the Big Green cart, it's enough to have you cross-eyed. But the City of Oklahoma City is stepping in to simplify matters. They stress the importance of quality over quantity. "Focus on quality, not quantity," advises a recent article from the City of Oklahoma City. If you're unsure whether an item is recyclable and you don't have the minute to double-check, they suggest it's best to just go ahead and pitch it into the trash.
On the home front, they recommend to distill your plastic recycling efforts down to the most-used rooms: "One easy trick is to focus on the rooms where you use specific types of plastics," the City of Oklahoma City article suggests. Looking at the kitchen, items like water and soda bottles, milk jugs, and various tubs from dairy products make the cut. Your bathroom's shampoo and soap bottles are game, as are laundry detergent containers from the utility room. By honing in on these areas, the task won't seem so daunting.
And a friendly reminder from the good folks at okc.gov: cleanliness matters. They urge that all items be "clean, dry and loose in your cart," with any remaining product kept to a minimum inside the plastic containers. It's about giving these materials a shot at a second life, while looking out for the environment and keeping our landfills free of materials that could otherwise be recycled.
But don't get to think those garage items belong in the same bin. Anything containing harsh substances—such as motor oil or paint thinners—doesn't make the recycling team. "Plastic containers such as those that hold motor oil, lubricants, paint thinners and other toxic substances don’t belong in your recycling cart," states the City of Oklahoma City article. These need to be empty before hitting the Big Blue trash cart, or if they're still half full, they should be taken to the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center for safe disposal.
For full details on what goes where, and how to dispose of hazardous materials, check out okc.gov.
