How NOT to Recycle in Howard County

I recently took a tour of Howard County’s recycling facility in Elkridge. What an educational (and loud) experience! I learned about how our recycling is sorted, baled, and shipped to be made into new products. I learned that the equipment we have at the facility does a lot of the work, so that residents don’t have to separate their recyclables for pickup. I also learned that while the machines are impressive, the facility’s hardest workers are their employees, who must remove trash from the collected material as it speeds along its journey through the sorting center. I also learned that little things that we nonchalantly throw in our curbside bins (as we think to ourselves, “This is recyclable, isn’t it? I’m not sure… oh well, whatever.”) can cause big problems for the staff at the recycling center — broken machines, lost productivity, pricey repairs. I’ll bet you didn’t know these facts about what NOT to recycle at the curb in Howard County:

• Do NOT place garden hoses, cords, ropes, or Christmas lights in curbside recycling. These long items are not recyclable and jam the sorting machines.
• Do NOT put Styrofoam in curbside recycling. Please take Styrofoam #6 to Alpha RidgeLandfill for recycling. Visit www.howardcountymd.gov/styrofoam.htm for more details.
• Do NOT recycle paper towels, napkins or tissues. These items can’t be made into new paper products because the fibers are too short (the short fibers give them their softness).
• Do NOT put electronics in curbside recycling. Please recycle these at your localBest Buy, Staples or at the Alpha Ridge Landfill. Visit www.howardcountymd.gov/electronics.htm for more information.
• My biggest revelation: one of the worst things you can put in your curbside recycling is plastic bags. Though they are technically recyclable, it’s best to take plastic bags and film back to your grocery/retail store for recycling. Plastic bags often get wrapped around the rotating screens that sort our recyclables, causing damage to the equipment. More information about plastic bags and a handy poster/printout about recycling those bags at retail locations can be found at www.howardcountymd.gov/recyclingcollectiondetails.htm
• One last tip—you do NOT have to rinse your bottles and cans before recycling. As long as they are totally empty, any lingering food bits or liquid will dry up and flake off by the time your recyclables arrive at the center. So don’t sweat it—save yourself a step!

For more information about how to be the best recycler you can be, visitwww.howardcountyrecycles.org.