A Recycling Question

[Tilly2]

I spent time yesterday getting rid of lots of paperwork from the old days but now have twelve lever arch flies that I want to get rid of.

They are too 'tatty' to take to the charity shop. Can I put them in the recycling bin, given that they contain metal?

[anneasquith]

could you carefully remove the metal ?

[factor-fiction]

I don't think so.
I always cut out bits of metal/plastic from things I'm putting in the paper/card recycling bin

[jomifl]

The paper recycling methods must be able to deal with small pieces of metal such as staples and paper clips so it should be able to deal with a the metal parts of a lever arch file.

[Tilly2]

Will they have to go in the ordinary bin then? I don't think I can get the lever arch bits off.

[anneasquith]

ordinary bin then tilly,,

[Old_Geezer]

Can you give them for the local church jumble sale ?

It's a weird system, the council wants you to do loads of work for free so they can make profit and feel smug about how they are on the green bandwagon.

[woofgang]

Our recycling can go out mixed. You can't put glass in the bag but tins, plastic, metal and paper all go in together.

[gingejbee]

f-f: you have a paper/card re-cycle bin...some of us have an EVERYTHING one, and I do mean all re-cycle stuff goes into one wheeled bin.

[Tilly2]

It seems such a waste to put them in the bin. I'll put them in a box for now. A jumble sale might be the idea.

[starone]

Put them in the recycling bin and see if they take them. The blokes will put them back if they are not recyclable and then you can put them in your black wheelie bin. It's a matter of trial and error, or something like that.

[factor-fiction]

Yes- we have several recycling bins.
If they really do recycle stuff and it's all in one bin I assume they either sort everything manually (and cut up things like binders into different bits)- or maybe they have some clever system for pulping the paper/card elements.

[Old_Geezer]

I think (no personal experience) around our way if they don't like one item they refuse to take any, so if trying it, try it on a low recycle amount day so you aren't stuck with loads until next time.

[gingejbee]

f-f: apparently ours is one of the most sophisticated systems in the country and we have the highest re-cycling rates, too....because it's been made so simple. Even glass goes into the one bin!

[starone]

I put old curtains out one week and they put them back. I thought they took material stuff, but they certainly didn't want these. And what the heck do you do with old curtains? Such a waste!

[factor-fiction]

We were taken by surprise by a collection one bank holiday. I saw the first van outside collecting plastic/glass/tins but by the time I'd put the bin out the van had passed by. Just behind it was the card/paper van so I quickly put that bin out as well. I recognised the bin man as someone I used to play football with about 10 years earlier and mentioned that I'd just missed the collection. He offered to sort it - and he tipped my plastic/glass/ tins into the paper/card van along with my paper.
So I'm not sure now how it all gets dealt with at the recycling centre.

I know I'm a bit OCD about my recycling. I put all my tins/jars in the dishwasher before I put them out , remove all paper labels from tins and cut away the plastic spouts from tetrapack cartons

[Tilly2]

Thanks everyone. I'll save them for a jumble sale.