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How clean do containers need to be before I toss them into the recycling bin?
That dried chocolate milk or last bit of peanut butter might compel you to run your recyclables through the dishwasher, but a good rinse will suffice.
Do I need to take the labels off jars and cans?
No, they will be burned off during the recycling process.
Can caps and lids be recycled?
No, please remove them. The lids to plastic bottles are made of different grades of plastic than the bottle itself.
Should I step on plastic bottles and crush cans?
Yes. By crushing bottles and cans, they take up less space in the container. That means we can fit more material into the containers and make fewer trips transporting them.
Why can’t plastic bags be recycled with plastic containers? Where can they be recycled?
Lexington County does not accept plastic bags for recycling because there is not a buyer for them. Most area grocery stores do accept plastic bags for recycling in containers outside of their stores, including Wal-Mart, Piggly Wiggly, BiLo and Food Lion. I see used motor oil is accepted. What about used cooking oil?
You may recycle used cooking oil at six of the 12 collection stations:
- Sandhill
- Edmund
- Ball Park Road
- Chapin
- Leesville
- Bush River
Can I recycle my old computers and television sets?
Right now, Lexington County doesn’t accept electronic waste for recycling, but we hope to implement a program soon. Visit DHEC’s Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling for more information on the electronic waste.
Why can't I recycle broken glasses with my glass bottles and jars?
The ingredients used to make glassware is different from what goes into container glass. If these two types of glass are recycled together, the resulting glass will not be suitable for container glass. In fact, glassware, ceramics, windowpanes and mirrors can pose a threat to equipment in a glass recycling plant.
Why can’t I recycle cereal boxes along with cardboard?
Cereal box "cardboard" is really chipboard or paperboard. It is not the same grade of paper as the corrugated cardboard used to make shipping and moving boxes. If a recycling company tries to sell a bale of corrugated cardboard that has chipboard mixed into it, the buyer might refuse the bale in question and anything else that the recycling company tries to bring in later.
Why do you only accept plastic bottles and jugs, but not tubs?
Even though plastic bottles and tubs might have the same number inside their recycling symbols, they are not identical material. If the two plastic containers are recycled together, the result is a mixture of material that has little value in a second round of manufacturing.
What should I do with common household alkaline batteries (non-rechargeable)?
Throw them away. Regular household batteries are composed primarily of common metals - steel, zinc and manganese - and do not pose a health or environmental risk during normal use or disposal.
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