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If recycling was picked up daily, I wouldn't worry about any food residue. In my town, curbside pick-up is every two weeks. Since the recycling bin is sitting on my property, for two weeks, it would be an ugly bug-infested mess by the time of pick-up.
Since peanut butter is the biggest "sticky food" culprit, I fill the jar with boiling water which melts the peanut butter residue and the plastic jar, but who cares. A bit of hot soapy water then takes whatever didn't melt down the drain.
Man, you guys are lucky. In my area that don't recycle plastics at all. The county made a statement that they couldn't find anyone willing to take the materials so they just went in the dump anyway. Here, they only recycle metals, paper, and cardboard. They have an area by the landfill for you to leave appliances. They let people come in and take what they want from them. The metal scrappers come by and get them all a couple of times a week, after people have removed the parts they want from them. I was able to get a $120.00 fan for my fridge from one.
If you send dirty containers to the recycling, they throw it away.
I put things in the dishwasher.
Now that's dedication!
I won't do that. As it is, I run the dishwasher only once or twice a week as it gets full of my bowls and silverware.
Cat food cans get licked out by the dog and tossed into recycling bag.
Cans that held veggies get tossed into bag. (There is no food in them).
Papers get slid into the bag, as does cardboard.
(I have no sort recycling).
Bottles that held oil get placed into bag - not washed.
Been doing it that way for 25+ years. Recycling truck still picks up everything at my house.
I won't do that. As it is, I run the dishwasher only once or twice a week as it gets full of my bowls and silverware.
Cat food cans get licked out by the dog and tossed into recycling bag.
Cans that held veggies get tossed into bag. (There is no food in them).
Papers get slid into the bag, as does cardboard.
(I have no sort recycling).
Bottles that held oil get placed into bag - not washed.
Been doing it that way for 25+ years. Recycling truck still picks up everything at my house.
No "bag" here. We have recycling bins. The bins were initially delivered to every house in the borough. As people moved away and took the bins with them, (they weren't supposed to) there were houses that had no bins so the new residents had to buy a replacement bin. The bin is the only accepted recyclables container. The refuse guys refuse to take any bags. So I clean out/rinse out any food containers so as to discourage any infestation of flies/bees/wasps/critters. We also have no-sort recycling but I refuse to make my recycling bin a garbage container.
Here in Huntsville Alabama, we have Republic Recycling - they do not take #5 plastic jars although they take #1 and #2 plastic, as well as cans, cardboard, newspaper (do ppl even?), and paper; car batteries, household batteries, and motor oil can be placed beside the bin. Items should be rinsed and lids / sprayers should be removed from the item when applicable. Republic picks up (no sort) curbside blue bins once a week. Glass can be taken to the recycling facility.
Our garbage is picked up weekly (by the City) in green waste containers for automated garbage trucks. The waste is taken to the incinerator, where it is shredded, then magnets pick up metals, and then the waste is burned to generate power.
Yard waste (and bagged waste) is picked up weekly (by the City) and taken to the City landfill.
Toxic substances and electronics can be taken to the disposal area at the City landfill once a month.
Man, you guys are lucky. In my area that don't recycle plastics at all. The county made a statement that they couldn't find anyone willing to take the materials so they just went in the dump anyway. Here, they only recycle metals, paper, and cardboard. They have an area by the landfill for you to leave appliances. They let people come in and take what they want from them. The metal scrappers come by and get them all a couple of times a week, after people have removed the parts they want from them. I was able to get a $120.00 fan for my fridge from one.
You're not alone. Many communities that have recycling, especially smaller ones, have stopped accepting plastic because they can't sell it. I helped a relative clean out a house and tried to recycle plastic items at a county facility, and they told that they were holding many bins of plastic that they could not sell and were considering simply sending it to the local dump.
The recycling center in my community just stopped accepting glass. It still takes plastic, metal and aluminum cans, paper, and cardboard. Appliances can be taken to the collection center, but there is also a commercial metal recycler that will take those. Hazardous household waste and electronics are accepted a few times a year.
The glass situation appears to be related to manufacturers switching to plastic containers. I wonder if the issue with plastic is related to loss of manufacturing overseas.
No "bag" here. We have recycling bins. The bins were initially delivered to every house in the borough. As people moved away and took the bins with them, (they weren't supposed to) there were houses that had no bins so the new residents had to buy a replacement bin. The bin is the only accepted recyclables container. The refuse guys refuse to take any bags. So I clean out/rinse out any food containers so as to discourage any infestation of flies/bees/wasps/critters. We also have no-sort recycling but I refuse to make my recycling bin a garbage container.
Oh we have a bin, too - just like the garbage bin, but a different color. By bag, I meant the paper bag inside my house where I toss things first. It sits next to the kitchen garbage can. Garbage on one side, recycling on the other. The bag with cans and bottles and paper goes into the recycling bin. The bin gets picked up every 2 weeks. I've never had a problem with bugs or critter in the bin (it has a tight fitting lid, which undoubtedly helps!).
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