The Trustees are pleased to announce that the recycling initiative at Arnhem has been a tremendous success over the first couple of months. Recyclable waste is now collected on a bi-weekly basis and has led to a significant reduction in municipal waste.
All residents are reminded that the bin room remains an outlet for any unwanted items (old furniture, clothing, books, cooking utensils, etc.). Residents should please refrain from putting these items in the foyer or stairwells.
Additionally, all persons participating in recycling to please note that some plastics cannot be recycled, specifically single-use, soft plastics such shopping bags. These plastics should generally not be disposed in the recycling bins, since they unnecessarily bulk up waste collected for recycling.
This includes:
- Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) used in shrink wrap and bread bags
- Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) used to produce plastic food wrap
Plastics can take up to a 1000 years to degrade, and re-using them at home or avoiding them altogether is great for the environment – since less plastic ends up in the ocean or landfills.
Plastics that can be recycled include:
- Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) used in plastic bottles
- High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) used to create containers like detergent bottles
- Polypropylene (PP) used to create products such as sour cream containers
- Polystyrene (PS) used in cups and foam packaging
Plastic can be recycled to make various products, such as T-shirts, jackets, sleeping bags and carpets, among many others.
To maintain sanitary conditions in the bin room, it is generally preferable to give food-contaminated plastics and metals a quick rinse before recycling.
