Residents Should Be Aware Of Myths About Recycling
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
The old cliche, "don't believe everything you read," may apply to people who recycle more than they may believe.
Claims about products and packaging about recyclability and recycled content may be misunderstood, the Federal Trade Commission said in information released recently.
Some information people need to better understand includes:
• A product or package can be marketed as "recyclable" if it can be separated and collected from household and commercial trash for reuse or to make another product or package, through an established recycling program.
• Product labels that say "Please Recycle" are relevant only if a community collects the products for recycling - and meaningless if it doesn't.
Kosciusko County has a recycling program in place. There are 12 drop-offs throughout the county, Solid Waste Management District Director Marsha Eikenberry said. She said the local program accepts newspapers, corrugated cardboard, aluminum cans, steel and tin cans, glass containers and No. 1 (PET) and No. 2 (HDPE) plastic.
To handle paper recycling in the county, a paper recycling day is held every three months. All types of paper may be dropped off then.
A household hazardous waste day is held once a year. An amnesty day for tires and appliances is also held annually.
• Sometimes, businesses recycle products for locals. For example, many grocery stores take back their plastic grocery bags. And some manufacturers of toner cartridges have programs that allow consumers to return their empty cartridges, which are then reused for remanufacturing.
Eikenberry said many local businesses recycle products for their customers.
"Almost everyone in the county does. Marsh has it right inside their door. Kroger does, many of them do," Eikenberry said.
A new program being started by the KCSWMD is the recycling of toner cartridges.
"That's a new program we're starting. We'll have one for display in the office for sure," she said.
The display includes a roll of plastic bags that are already postage paid. Eikenberry said she hoped that business offices would have them available soon to recycle their toner cartridges.
• Manufacturers and marketers may claim that a product or package has recycled content if it is made with materials that have been recovered or separated from the trash during the manufacturing process (preconsumer) or after consumer use (postconsumer).
• Recycled products are made from products that have been melted down or ground up and made into new products. They may have been made from materials that are used, reconditioned or remanufactured. If a product is labeled recycled because it contains used, reconditioned or remanufactured parts, the label also must say the product is "used," "reconditioned" or "remanufactured" unless that fact is obvious to the buyer.
• If a label says "recycled," it must tell the percentage of recycled content - unless it's 100 percent.
• Certain symbols placed on consumer products mean a person may be able to recycle the product or package - depending on your community's program - or that the product or package is made from recycled materials.
Eikenberry said there are a couple of other myths people need to be aware of when recycling.
"I think that people may think that recycled products are more expensive. That's not true," she said.
She said other people think everything is recyclable. That isn't true either, she said.
"The only things recyclable are what's being collected in your area." [[In-content Ad]]
The old cliche, "don't believe everything you read," may apply to people who recycle more than they may believe.
Claims about products and packaging about recyclability and recycled content may be misunderstood, the Federal Trade Commission said in information released recently.
Some information people need to better understand includes:
• A product or package can be marketed as "recyclable" if it can be separated and collected from household and commercial trash for reuse or to make another product or package, through an established recycling program.
• Product labels that say "Please Recycle" are relevant only if a community collects the products for recycling - and meaningless if it doesn't.
Kosciusko County has a recycling program in place. There are 12 drop-offs throughout the county, Solid Waste Management District Director Marsha Eikenberry said. She said the local program accepts newspapers, corrugated cardboard, aluminum cans, steel and tin cans, glass containers and No. 1 (PET) and No. 2 (HDPE) plastic.
To handle paper recycling in the county, a paper recycling day is held every three months. All types of paper may be dropped off then.
A household hazardous waste day is held once a year. An amnesty day for tires and appliances is also held annually.
• Sometimes, businesses recycle products for locals. For example, many grocery stores take back their plastic grocery bags. And some manufacturers of toner cartridges have programs that allow consumers to return their empty cartridges, which are then reused for remanufacturing.
Eikenberry said many local businesses recycle products for their customers.
"Almost everyone in the county does. Marsh has it right inside their door. Kroger does, many of them do," Eikenberry said.
A new program being started by the KCSWMD is the recycling of toner cartridges.
"That's a new program we're starting. We'll have one for display in the office for sure," she said.
The display includes a roll of plastic bags that are already postage paid. Eikenberry said she hoped that business offices would have them available soon to recycle their toner cartridges.
• Manufacturers and marketers may claim that a product or package has recycled content if it is made with materials that have been recovered or separated from the trash during the manufacturing process (preconsumer) or after consumer use (postconsumer).
• Recycled products are made from products that have been melted down or ground up and made into new products. They may have been made from materials that are used, reconditioned or remanufactured. If a product is labeled recycled because it contains used, reconditioned or remanufactured parts, the label also must say the product is "used," "reconditioned" or "remanufactured" unless that fact is obvious to the buyer.
• If a label says "recycled," it must tell the percentage of recycled content - unless it's 100 percent.
• Certain symbols placed on consumer products mean a person may be able to recycle the product or package - depending on your community's program - or that the product or package is made from recycled materials.
Eikenberry said there are a couple of other myths people need to be aware of when recycling.
"I think that people may think that recycled products are more expensive. That's not true," she said.
She said other people think everything is recyclable. That isn't true either, she said.
"The only things recyclable are what's being collected in your area." [[In-content Ad]]