RI's Blue & Green Bin Recycling Program
What can or can’t be recycled in RI… and why?
Rhode Island was the first state in the nation to pass mandatory recycling legislation back in 1986. Our recycling program continues to be on par with great programs across the country, but (as with many things!) is still uniquely RI in nature. Local opportunities and challenges truly shape the make-up of our program, as they do for any recycling program. We hope that a better understanding of these opportunities and challenges can help RI residents put our program in perspective.
Theoretically, almost everything can be transformed into something else. So can any given product be recycled somewhere in the world now or somehow in the future? Probably. However there are some other questions we must ask before we determine if something is eligible to be recycled here in RI:
1. Is there anyone willing to buy this material (i.e. is someone out there transforming this material into something else)?
2. If so, can we collect the volume that they require on the schedule they need?
3. Does our current plant support the type of processing that would produce the quality of the material they need?
4. After the costs of collecting, hauling and processing are we getting enough back to break even?
For items not accepted in the RI recycling program, the answer to one of more or these questions is currently no; however RIRRC is planning renovations to our Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) that can change how we answer these for more materials. RIRRC is also always looking for new markets for these materials as well. Here are some specific answers to FAQs about why we can’t recycle certain items in RI:
Q. A friend of mine who lives in another state can recycle plastics numbers 1-7. Why can’t we do that in Rhode Island?
A. There are two major reasons that we do not currently accept more plastics in the RI program. The first is that the markets for plastics outside of the #1 and #2 bottles and jugs are quite small. We hope to see these markets grow in the very near future and are actively seeking more buyers for our materials. The second reason is that at our Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) we currently use a combination of mechanical and manual sorting to further separate out the contents of your blue and green bins. When materials have reached the point of manual sorting, it is only really possible for our workers to recognize and separate two plastic types. Anything more than this requires optical sorting technology, and we plan to upgrade our facility with this technology before 2013.
Q. Why can't I recycle margarine tubs and yogurt containers, even though they are #2 plastics?
A. This is a great question! Number 2 plastics are made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) which can be "blow molded" to form bottles and "injection-molded" to form tubs. The two applications are chemically different and have different melting points, so even though both items have the same code on the bottom, they cannot be collected in our recycling program. A good rule of thumb: if a #1 or #2 container has a neck that is clearly smaller than the base, than it is blow-molded and accepted in the RI program.
Q. My motor oil and pesticides definitely came in #2 bottles. Why can't they go in the blue bin?
A. Motor oil and pesticides are examples of household hazardous waste (HHW). Containers that once housed HHW often still have traces of the material left in them, and can present serious health and safety risks to our workers. Call the Eco Depot Program for a FREE appointment @ (401) 942-1430 x 241 or make an appointment on our website (www.rirrc.org/resident/household-hazardous-waste). On this page you can also download our Eco-Depot brochure, listing other HHW items you may have to dispose, and make a single trip.
Q. I heard I can leave the cap on my plastic bottles and cartons now when recycling. Is this true?
A. Yes! Now for the first time, our buyers can process the bales (compressed blocks) of bottles and cartons they get from us with the caps on, and recover the cap material for recycling.
Q. Why can't I recycle the cardboard boxes from 12-packs of soda cans?
A. This type of cardboard has been treated with a chemical that prevents it from disintegrating when the cans "sweat." It is difficult for the paper mills to break down the cardboard with water when they try to recycle it. Therefore, put these boxes, as well as all cardboard packaging from refrigerated or frozen foods (ice cream boxes, microwave dinners, fish sticks) in the trash.
Q. My coffee cups are made of paper. Why can't I put these in my green bin?
A. This type of paper has been treated with a chemical that prevents it from disintegrating when full of a hot liquid. It is difficult for the paper mills to break down the cardboard with water when they try to recycle it. Therefore put these in the trash.
Q. My propane tank is metal. Why can’t I put it in my blue bin? Are the small campsite tanks OK?
A. Propane tanks, even the small campsite ones, can’t go in the blue bin and shouldn’t go in the regular trash either. The tank may seem empty but will have trace propane in it, and it may explode and injure people when it is handled by trash processing machinery. Even the small camp-style tanks can be hazardous. Several stores like Home Depot and Wal-Mart have trade-in programs where you bring them your empty full-size tank and they'll give you a new filled one. Call the Eco Depot Program for a FREE appointment @ (401) 942-1430 x 241 or make an appointment on our website (www.rirrc.org/resident/household-hazardous-waste). On this page you can also download our Eco-Depot brochure, listing other HHW items you may have to dispose, and make a single trip.
Q. Why can’t tissues and tissue paper go in the green bin?
A. Aside from health and safety issues that tissues and napkins can pose, these materials, along with tissue paper from gift boxes, are an already-low grade of paper products and aren’t readily turned into anything else.
Q. Why aren't pizza boxes recyclable?
A. If the pizza box were totally clean, it would be. The problem is that they seldom are. The grease from the pizza is the problem. So, as a precaution we request that you throw the box away. If the box cover is entirely free of food residue, you would need to rip it off and render it unrecognizable (tear it up) before placing it in the green bin because many haulers have been instructed to reject pizza boxes curb-side.
Q. Why can’t I recycle plastic grocery bags?
A. Actually you can – just not in your blue bin. Plastic bags are a big problem for our MRF, and for our landfill too. Plastic bags get wrapped around the machinery and cause shut downs, making our operation much less efficient. You can bring your plastic bags back to most RI supermarkets, big box retailers, and pharmacies and place them in the “Re-STORE” plastic bag recycling bin. They will then be recycled into composite lumber, pallets, crates, pipes, or even new bags. Also remember - the best thing you can do is avoid plastic bags all together. Please use reusable shopping bags whenever possible.
