To clean, or not to clean: that is the question! That is one of the big issues that staff at the recycling depot deal with each day. To answer the question, “Yes, please clean your recyclables.”
Before I explain why, I need to acknowledge the many families on Bowen who do a spectacular job of cleaning their recycling! The depot staff are very grateful! For those of you who wonder why you should bother, let me explain.
The first thing you should know is that the recycled materials that are collected at the recycling depot do not go instantly to the processing plant. This means that any food stuffs left in containers does what comes naturally – begin to grow mold, especially in hot weather! But even worse, the food can develop invisible bacteria that grow along with the mold. Once the recycled materials get to the processing plant, they may be stored for a while longer. This gives the molds and bacteria lots of time to grow and develop. Processing the materials releases the mold and bacteria into the environment resulting in a potentially hazardous workplace for the people who handle these materials.
Did you know that these plants can refuse any materials they deem too dirty? This is the reason why!
So here’s what you can do to help:
You can lightly rinse out and gently scrub any jars or cans that have left over food in them. The same goes for the glass containers, such as wine bottles. Use left over washing up or rinsing water, if you hand wash your dishes. If you have a dishwasher, put your recyclables in with your dishes. The same applies to cardboard, particularly pizza boxes. All recycled materials need to be as food free as possible.
Uncontaminated recycled material makes for a safer work environment. So help us at the depot by cleaning your recycling!
