For a lot of people, recycling is one of those bothersome chores, a guessing game of sorts. The common thought process -- “This goes in the trash, and that goes in the recycling bin … I guess. Does it? Oh, well who cares! Someone else will figure it out if I’m wrong.”
Some items, of course, like paper, clearly go into the recycling bin, and leftovers from dinner go into the trash. But certain materials, a pizza box for example, leave many homeowners wondering.
That pizza box is made from cardboard, which is in and of itself is recyclable. However, the box is likely soiled with grease and food particles. Once tarnished with food or oil, the box could ruin a whole recycling batch.
Massachusetts residents are putting too much trash into recycling bins, officials say, things like pizza boxes, food-soiled paper plates, plastic grocery bags, diapers and more. This misplacement of trash is costing municipalities millions. Making matters worse, China has begun to refuse to import recyclables from the United States and other countries because the recyclables are not clean enough.
In hopes of saving money by keeping contaminants out of the recycling stream, the state recently launched “Recycle Smart,” a $2.6 million campaign to teach consumers how to recycle properly. Funds will be doled out to 250 municipalities to support local programs.
Among the grant recipients: Dennis, $11,000; Yarmouth, $10,400; Barnstable, $14,300, and Harwich $12,100.
“It is up to us to ensure that residents across the commonwealth are being accurately educated on proper recycling practices and standards,” Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli, co-chairman of the Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture, told the State House News Service.
“The Sustainable Materials Recovery Program grants will help communities build stronger recycling programs, encourage residents to keep trash out of recycling bins and ultimately reduce waste management costs,” Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton said.
Sometimes people are just lazy, or figure it’s cheaper to throw an item into the recycling bin than to put it in the paid trash bag, lots of times the public simply doesn’t know.
Massachusetts officials say plastic bags are of particular concern. According to MassDEP, almost 95 percent of Massachusetts residents say they recycle on a regular basis, but about half mistakenly believe that plastic bags can be recycled along with paper, cans and bottles. “In fact, plastic bags are the No. 1 cause of ruined recyclables. If you use them to bag your recyclables, all your recyclables are treated as trash,” the consumer Q&A said.
Yarmouth, Dennis and Barnstable have banned single-use plastic bags.
Besides education and outreach, the grants will be used to pay for new recycling bins or carts, the collection of difficult-to-recycle items and recycling in municipal buildings, schools and public spaces. Smaller grants between $500 and $2,000 will also be awarded to help the communities make “modest but critical investments” in existing recycling programs or new, low-cost initiatives, MassDEP said.
As part of the initiative, MassDEP also developed the Recyclopedia, an app and website search function intended to help people determine whether a particular item or material can be recycled.