26 replies to this topic

[boilergrad13]

I'm trying my best to do more for the environment and recycling is a big part of that. My husband isn't quite as into the "green living" as I am. For one thing, he has to haul off all the recycling to the center once a week. But he pointed out the other day that I am wasting water rinsing out the jars and cans that I'm recycling. So what's the protocol on this? Should I run the water for 30 seconds to rinse out a pasta jar or leave it as-is and toss it into the recycling bin?

[jasserEnv]

Where I am from, they ask for a quick rinse, but other towns would like jars and cans washed more thoroughly. You should check with the recycling center. In some cases, someone else along the recycling chain is going wash it anyway so you are wasting water when you don't need to. In other cases, the materials sit and the they don't want to attract insects and rodents.

[Wallie0912]

I usually give everything a quick rinse.  I do this partially because the city asks me to, but mostly I do it because I don't want residue  building up and getting all moldy inside my recycle bin.   I figure washing the dregs of the contents down my garbage disposal is marginally more Earth-friendly than having to use disinfectants inside my bin to get it cleaned out.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

boilergrad13, on 01 December 2011 - 10:50 AM, said:

I'm trying my best to do more for the environment and recycling is a big part of that. My husband isn't quite as into the "green living" as I am. For one thing, he has to haul off all the recycling to the center once a week. But he pointed out the other day that I am wasting water rinsing out the jars and cans that I'm recycling. So what's the protocol on this? Should I run the water for 30 seconds to rinse out a pasta jar or leave it as-is and toss it into the recycling bin?

If you don't want to go the route of having a bucket in the shower to catch the water, as you wait for it
to warm up (you can use that water for rinsing) then just put some water in a container for those recycle items
and reuse it over and over. After several days, discard. Smaller amount of water wasted.

[mariaandrea]

I always rinse before recycling. One because I know the city used to ask for it - if they've changed that I don't know, haven't kept track. The main reason, really, is that our recycling bin sits for a few days before it's filled up enough to take out to the dumpster and if we don't rinse things out they start to smell. Especially in warm weather. It's healthier to not let mold grow.

[boilergrad13]

Thank you all for your replies. I think I'll keep rinsing my recycling. Our container sits in the garage and we only go to the recycling center once a week -- it's quite a drive to get there-- so I can only imagine what our garage would smell like and the animals that would be in there if we didn't rinse!

[ConservativeGreen]

I just leave the cans and bottles sit by the sink and use the dishwater as a quick rinse after the dishes are washed.  Let the water do a little more work.

[Green Thumb]

Oh there. Collect rain water and use it in cleaning all those containers.  If there's no rain, you can also collect water by using a washbasin in rinsing your utensils and those used water, you can use in cleaning your jars.

[zararina]

I agree on the ideas here about using used water just like the water used for dish and clothes washing. And also if you could collect some rain waters that you could also use in rinsing/cleaning those jars and as well as to other purposes like cleaning the garage. In that way you will not waste clean water and in fact you had save water by reusing it.;)

[kathie_san]

I don't rinse things that I recycle (by recycling I mean selling them to a junk shop) since they don't ask for that and yeah it's kinda waste of water. But if I'm going to re-use jars and bottles then that's the time i wash them with detergent and water to keep them clean.

[jasserEnv]

kathie_san, on 06 December 2011 - 08:34 AM, said:

I don't rinse things that I recycle (by recycling I mean selling them to a junk shop) since they don't ask for that and yeah it's kinda waste of water. But if I'm going to re-use jars and bottles then that's the time i wash them with detergent and water to keep them clean.

That always is the trade off. If you can get away with not doing it because it is collected regularly and because the waste management processors can deal with it in that state, then that makes sense. However, if you have collection every two weeks and it is going to sit in your garage, you are going to be breeding flies at a minimum and potentially attracting other pests.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Somewhere/sometime during the day, we're going to be washing something. Our hands after using
the bathroom if nothing else-
if you recycle cans, bottles-just keep a small container in the sink to hold that water.
To me, it's common sense, Don't waste water, but we wash all the time to stay clean-just capture
that water and put it to good use.

[Tom Servo]

I've always felt this should be done at the plants; it's really a pain to rinse everything and if you're hosting a part, you can hardly count on your guests to throw everything in the proper recycling bin, let alone rise it.

[magickat]

I wash mine out when I have finished the other washing up, so no extra water is wasted. i also use my old washing up water to water the garden in the summer.

[MakingCents]

something I just found out.  My recycle center here doesn't recylce the lids on 20 ounce bottles.  And if a bottle comes in with a lid out of it, sometimes they just throw the bottle out rather than take the time to remove the lid!  So now I remove the lids before I send them in.  I still send the lids to the recylcing center in case they one day start recycling them.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Tom Servo, on 06 December 2011 - 07:09 PM, said:

I've always felt this should be done at the plants; it's really a pain to rinse everything and if you're hosting a part, you can hardly count on your guests to throw everything in the proper recycling bin, let alone rise it.

They do clean them at the plants, but whether we as recyclers let it pile up outside/in a garage-you don't
want it to attract rats. ants and other critters,
and the commercial recycle bins, sometimes sit there a day or two before being emptied-and if rats
and other critters moved in, the folks that allow the bins in that location might remove them.

[Alli]

I agree with everyone here about using "gray water" to rinse recyclables. Slightly used water is fine for rinsing those cans and jars and you aren't wasting fresh water, so everyone wins.

[GreenQueen]

I always like to rinse it before I store them anywhere in my home. I don't think it bad to give it a rinse. If they have tops you can try placing them upside down so that you can just unscrew it and let it all out. I just don't like the gnats and the stick juice everywhere. I don't think it will be a problem which ever you decide to do.

[magickat]

MakingCents, on 09 December 2011 - 08:08 PM, said:

something I just found out.  My recycle center here doesn't recylce the lids on 20 ounce bottles.  And if a bottle comes in with a lid out of it, sometimes they just throw the bottle out rather than take the time to remove the lid!  So now I remove the lids before I send them in.  I still send the lids to the recylcing center in case they one day start recycling them.

I know there has been an issue with not being able to recycle lids on a number of products, but it is gradually getting better. Seems very wasteful for a whole bottle to be thrown out if it has a lid on though....

[JBMedia]

As long as you just do a quick rinse you should be fine. You don't need to thoroughly wash the containers. I've never had with any of my recycling centers at least. A quick rinse is all it's ever needed.