Recycling Myth-Busting for Eco-Warriors: the 411

Plastic Caps On or Off?

The confusion about leaving caps on or off bottles and jars is the result of the rapid improvement in technologies that sort and process recyclables, and the way the internet doesn’t take down old information. In a rapidly changing field, interested consumers need to check the dates on information carefully to be current.

Many larger city systems are improving their technology rapidly, so the ability of optical sensors to separate types of plastics into their constituent parts is improving. There are markets for the recycled plastic of the type caps are made of. The conveyor belts that move materials around, and the sorting systems, tend to lose small pieces such as caps when they fall through screens and filters. So the verdict is: KEEP PLASTIC BOTTLE CAPS ON BOTTLES.

The bottles are ground up, washed vigorously, and then optically sorted into types of plastic flake, which is bagged and sent to processing plants.

Glass Jars: Should We Rinse Out?

With the rapidly changing technology that is moving recyclables through the system, the guidelines for consumers is changing regarding rinsing vs not rinsing glass food jars before putting them into the recycling. Each municipality has a website with specific guidelines for their system, and it is worth checking. But there are several reasons you should consider rinsing glass jars.

If you keep recycling containers or bins in your house or garage, you can collect materials over time. But leaving food in glass jars can cause odor and attract vermin. Also, metal lids should not be kept on glass jars for recycling; when you take off the lid, it is simple to rinse the jar quickly. It may be simplest to put empty glass jars in the dishwasher with the rest of the dishes.

The process of rinsing or adding to the dishwasher load means there is very little water used exclusively for this process. While there is concern that using water resources to prepare something for recycling can balance out the benefits, the equation is more complicated than that. The verdict is: RINSE GLASS JARS.

Metal Caps and Lids

Metal caps and lids are problematic, because the sorting and processing equipment can drop small caps through the screens. Large magnets attract bigger metal pieces as a stream of recyclables is moving through a processor, but these small metal caps can fall through and gum up the works. Some entrepreneurs are turning the colorful and unique bottle cap collecting industry into belts and purses, but for the rest of the world, how can you recycle small metal bottle caps and metal jar lids?

A metal can, such as a large coffee can of similar, can act as the depository, and when it is two thirds full, the top can be crimped closed with a pair of pliers. This metal can can now be safely placed in the metal recycling. So the verdict is: YES, BUT collect caps in a metal can and crimp the top shut before recycling.