Recycle Right

Don’t spoil curbside program for everyone else

There’s an old saying that one bad apple can spoil the whole barrel. Well, what about a lot of bad apples? Throw in some food scraps, old worn-out clothing, yard clippings and any other trash lying around the house while you’re at it.

You have the makings of a really spoiled barrel. A barrel of recyclables to be specific.

Waste Management, which handles garbage collection in Texarkana, Texas, said last week that some residents—about a third—keep throwing improperly sorted trash into their recycling bins.

And the company warned if this keeps up then curbside recycling could end on the Texas side.

In the meantime, Waste Management workers will no longer empty recycling bins containing such trash. Instead the bins will be tagged with a notice and the resident will have to do the dirty work before putting the container out again. Do it by the next pickup day and haulers will pick it up then. So what can you place in the recycling bin? Plastic bottles and plastics numbered one through seven are allowed. Paper, such as newspaper, magazines and junk mail, is welcome, as are dry cardboard with no food residue, aluminum, iron, steel and clean tin cans.

Don’t add clothing, blankets and the like. No yard waste or wood. No liquids or water hoses. No Styrofoam or other such materials. Glass, porcelain or ceramics are unwelcome, as are hazardous materials, medical waste, electronics, plastic bags and film and plastics that are not numbered one through seven.

Some residents may not care about recycling. That’s up to each individual. But don’t spoil it for those who do. If you use your recycling bin, use it as intended. Otherwise, it’s going to be sitting at the curb for a long time.