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Laundry detergent jugs are generally Type 2 plastics and work well for recycling.<\/p>\n
UCG\/UCG\/Universal Images Group via G<\/p>\n
Executives with a South Bay waste management company have some tips to help residents improve when it comes to recycling.<\/p>\n
At a joint session of the Saratoga City Council this month, Rob Hilton, executive director of West Valley Recycles, noted that not all plastics that have numbers actually get recycled, even if the company technically accepts them in blue bins.<\/p>\n
Types 1 and 2 are \u201cwhat gets consistently recycled,\u201d he said, adding: \u201ceverything else is a real question mark.\u201d<\/p>\n
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In general, clear, rigid plastics are usually a safe bet, said Andy Buck, Bay Area outreach manager for the company. Type 1 plastics include water bottles, and Type 2 include milk jugs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Flimsy Type 5 items like single-use surgical gloves or chip bags should go in the landfill bin, the executives said. Unlike other recyclers\u00a0\u2014 including Recology,<\/a> which serves San Francisco\u00a0\u2014 West Valley Recycles accepts Type 4 plastic bags, provided that they are bagged in another bag to prevent them clogging machinery.\u00a0<\/p>\n San Francisco Chronicle Logo<\/p>\n Make us a Preferred Source to get more of our news when you search.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n West Valley Recycles serves the Santa Clara County communities of Campbell, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno and Saratoga.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rigid plastic items should go in the landfill if they\u2019re small enough to jam machinery. Anything shorter than two-inches tall, Buck said, generally won\u2019t make it through the recycling process. On the other end of the spectrum, bulky items like basketball hoops, laundry machines and computers should be picked up through the recycler\u2019s on-call collection service.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Mixed-material items like toothbrushes, floss cases, razors and textiles and other multi-layer plastics should also go in the trash: \u201cAll that\u2019s\u00a0gonna be landfill,\u201d Buck explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n Other items\u00a0\u2014 like soiled napkins, paper towels, paper plates and greasy pizza boxes\u00a0\u2014 are commonly recycled, but should actually go in the compost, where they\u2019ll break down more easily, Buck said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Across the Bay Area, each jurisdiction has slightly different recycling guidelines, which can make it challenging for residents. But there are many commonalities\u00a0\u2014 Recology, for example, also bans plastic bits and bobs like single-use utensils, straws and the pull-tabs on milk jugs.<\/p>\n California has set loftier recycling goals than perhaps any other state in the country. But the confusion can lead to wishful recycling\u00a0\u2014 or \u201cwish-cycling\u201d\u00a0\u2014 where residents put items in their recycling or compost bins in the hopes that they\u2019ll eventually be sorted into the correct stream. This kind of recycling\u00a0\u2014 however well-intentioned\u00a0\u2014 is technically fineable in egregious cases.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cFor the first time, we are now required to have citations and notice of violations processes and fines, ultimately, for customers who aren\u2019t recycling or composting appropriately,\u201d Hilton said. \u201cIt\u2019s a state law that we\u2019ve had to implement at the local level.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n West Valley Recycles has been \u201cvery successful\u201d at avoiding enforcement, Hilton said: in the last four years, the authority hasn\u2019t written a single citation. Instead, it\u2019s focused on educational efforts around recycling correctly.\u00a0<\/p>\n San Francisco has taken a similar approach, leaving \u201coops tags\u201d on recycling bins contaminated with trash. In the city, repeat offenders in large buildings can face fines of up to $1,000 a day, <\/a>according to the San Francisco Environment Department.\u00a0<\/p>\n In recent years, California has enacted a flurry of laws<\/a> around its recycling goals. The state will require companies to remove \u201cchasing arrows\u201d symbols or other recycling claims from their packaging by October unless they meet certain recyclability criteria. Another recent ordinance<\/a> gives plastic producers a 2032 deadline to ensure all their packaging is recyclable or compostable.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Laundry detergent jugs are generally Type 2 plastics and work well for recycling. 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