Some Plastic Bags And Styrofoam Being Added To T.O. Blue Bin, But Which Recyclable Is Which?
Posted December 8, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Just days after City Council passed a law mandating a 5 cent charge for all plastic bags you get in Toronto stores next summer, comes word that you’re now going to be able to recycle many of those carry-alls in your blue bin.
The city has added certain kinds of plastic bags and Styrofoam containers that it had always rejected before and the new additions can go to the curb beginning Tuesday. But like many pronouncements out of City Hall, there are some restrictions and some confusion for homeowners.
For one thing, not all plastic bags are acceptable. The kind you get at the grocery stores to tote your purchases to the car can go in. But if they have drawstrings, hard plastic handles or metal on them, they’ll be left behind.
Also not allowed:
- Dry cleaning bags,
- The kind litres of milk come in,
- The plastic tear-offs you put fresh fruits and vegetables in at the supermarket,
- Sandwich containers and
- Plastic food wraps are all excluded.
The reason? Many are made from the wrong materials or may contaminate the process. They go in the grey garbage bin. And it’s up to you to know which is which.
The same kind of caveats surrounds polysterene, which is used to package everything from eggs to electronics. Among the acceptable items:
- Foam packaging (hard, white – used for cameras, stereos, etc.),
- Foam cups,
- Foam takeout containers,
- Foam meat trays,
- Foam egg cartons,
But so-called packing peanuts, used to protect shipped products, are off limits, and so is anything made from hard plastic, like plates, glass, cutlery, clear egg cartons, plastic models and CD and DVD cases.
Confused? You’re not alone.
“It’s frustrating because you just want to put the plastic bag in the recycling, but then you have to take the time to look at a list, and honestly most people probably aren’t going to be looking at a list,” admitted Torontonian Rachel DeJesus.
Vince Sferrazzan, Director of Policy and Planning, Solid Waste, admits it’s a bit confusing, but thinks citizens will catch on.
“We sympathize and that’s why we are trying, through education…to help our residents in terms of what goes into the blue (bin).
More questions? Find some answers here.
