Post #225,789
9/21/05 4:58:58 PM
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recycling question
It may be that I'm just suffering from a transient deficiency in my Google-fu, but I've been unable to find the answer to this simple question: are wire clothes hangers accepted by the average municipal recycling service? My laundry returns the product on hangers (I tried folded; misses the whole point of medium starch), and I've accumulated several hundred of these, at present stacked in bags in the attic. I foolishly attempted to direct this inquiry to the outfit that handles curbside recycling here, but, you know, voicemail menu hell...life's too short, and I have sundry other demands on my time between now and next week (the longed-for getaway will be much less ambitious than originally hoped for. On the other hand, it won't be nearly as costly, and will still involve beaches, a semi-equatorial latitude, and drinks with miniature parasols), so my second thought was to address this vexing question to the IWT hive mind, as the late contributor—his name eludes me—used to call it. Does anyone know offhand, or is someone less distracted than I am capable of ferreting out the answer?
cordially,
Die Welt ist alles, was der Fall ist.
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Post #225,795
9/21/05 5:12:16 PM
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Not sure where exactly you are
But for example [link|http://www.denvergov.org/recycle/materials.asp|Denver won't take it] but [link|http://www.recycleworks.org/cgi-bin/bin/user/details_company_aq.pl?id_company=41&id_subcategory=54&ActualType=where|San Mateo will].
[link|http://google.com/search?q=california+recycling+accepted|google://california +recycling+accepted]
===
Purveyor of Doc Hope's [link|http://DocHope.com|fresh-baked dog biscuits and pet treats].
[link|http://DocHope.com|http://DocHope.com]
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Post #225,798
9/21/05 5:19:59 PM
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I just stuff them in grocery bags and take them back . . .
. . to the cleaners. They seem happy to get them.
Otherwise, they're just mild steel, but steel scrap doesn't fetch much of a price these days. The scavenger who comes around and takes all my bottles, batteries, wire and newspapers declines steel from old computer cases (cleanly stripped) - not worth his effort.
[link|http://www.aaxnet.com|AAx]
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Post #225,803
9/21/05 5:46:25 PM
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Ditto. Take them to the cleaners.
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Post #225,827
9/21/05 8:17:24 PM
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Re: Ditto. Take them to the cleaners.
The cleaner, she looks at me with disbelief, and indicates, in heavily Chinese-accented English, that this thing is not done.
My Plan B is to bag them up and drop 'em off at one or more local laundromats. I well recall that in my laundromat days (1970-1998) hangers were much coveted.
But I'd rather the damned curbside recycler take them. Apparently it varies from one jurisdiction to the next. A few months ago our waste pickup switched from requiring recycling to be segregated into individual bins (glass+plastic+metal; paper) to a one-size-fits-all gigantic wheeled container. This appears to have been intended to cut the freelance scavengers, with whom, as you might imagine, Oakland is abundantly endowed, off at the knees, and it does appear to have discouraged them. Actually, I never minded the freelancers, except that they tended to be a tad sloppy in retrieving bottles from the bins, and frequently left shards of glass on the sidewalk when their alcoholic fingers lost their purchase.
cordially,
Die Welt ist alles, was der Fall ist.
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Post #225,832
9/21/05 8:38:18 PM
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Around here the curbside recycling is pretty finicky.
The county recycles lots of things, [link|http://www.co.fairfax.va.us/dpwes/recycling/new-mat.htm|listed here], but coat hangers aren't among them. HOW TO RECYCLE PLASTICS: Only recycle plastic bottles and jugs. To determine that the container is a bottle or jug, make sure it has a neck. In other words, the top must be narrower than the body or base. Remove and discard lids and caps. Flatten to save space.
WHAT NOT: Do not include plastic containers other than bottles or jugs. For example, do not include margarine tubs, yogurt cups or plastic trays.
WHERE: Some companies collect curbside. Also, accepted at all recycling drop-off centers except Baron Cameron Park.
WHY: Plastic bottles and jugs have different characteristics from other plastic containers. For example, a plastic milk bottle has a different melting point than a plastic margarine tub. It is important that bottles and jugs are collected separately so that these unique properties can be retained. Markets for plastics other than bottles and jugs continue to be weak. In Fairfax County, we only collect what we can sell to recyclers. Mixing in other types of plastics (e.g., yogurt cups, margarine tubs) interferes with our ability to market the materials. A few incorrect plastic containers can result in an entire load of plastic bottles and jugs being rejected. So remember: When in doubt, leave it out!
WHAT ABOUT THE NUMBER: Don't worry about the number! In the past, residents were encouraged to identify the resin identification code of a plastic container prior to recycling it. At this point, markets are primarily concerned with the shape of the container. So\ufffdyou DON'T need to check the number\ufffdbut you DO need to make sure the container is a bottle or a jug! It makes some sense, I guess. But an awful lot of plastic gets excluded that way... We use two large plastic bins, but I made the mistake of putting out a couple of Rubbermaid bins of my own once and they took theirs back. I guess the limit is 2 bins... A laundromat is another excellent choice for the hangers. That reminds me - we have a zillion wire hangers in the basement too... Shame about the broken glass and so forth. We have some of that here in suburbialand, but it's usually on the weekends due to kids driving by and chucking bottles and cans out the window. :-/ Cheers, Scott.
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Post #225,879
9/21/05 11:29:58 PM
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It would be more complicated than that.
Saw an interesting investigative piece some months ago about the state of recycling in Australia. Amongst other things, it aimed to answer the question of why only South Australia has a deposit-based recycle system.
It turns out that the plastic container making industry does not like recycling. It is simply cheaper and easier to always use virgin plastic. Processing recycled plastic is, the industry has decided, A Hard Task involving numerous levels of cleaning and reconstituting. Paying consumers to return it makes it *more* expensive. They'd much rather consumers pay to give it back... so we do. There have been cases of individuals who have campaigned for a nation-wide deposit-based recycling system who have been targetted by industry into withdrawing. Anything to keep fat-cat CEOs raking it in. (Contrast the metals industry who do pay bounty; the plastics people usually respond that recycling metal is far easier.)
Our local council used to have segregated recycling, too. Now they have co-mingled. It seemed like a backwards step. I suspect that they would lose less money having one collection for all recycling and then later sort it out under more-or-less controlled conditions than doing multiple pick-ups that consumers have pre-sorted.
Wade.
d-_-b
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Post #225,904
9/22/05 1:15:17 AM
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spend a couple of bucks on a propane torch
recycle yourself as needed. They make good hangers appropriatetly sized for mufflers, xmas lights globs of neat metal what ever youy need.
thanx,
bill
"the reason people don't buy conspiracy theories is that they think conspiracy means everyone is on the same program. Thats not how it works. Everybody has a different program. They just all want the same guy dead. Socrates was a gadfly, but I bet he took time out to screw somebodies wife" Gus Vitelli
Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free american and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 49 years. meep
questions, help? [link|mailto:pappas@catholic.org|email pappas at catholic.org]
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Post #225,911
9/22/05 4:00:42 AM
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But they don't make very good welding rod.
[link|http://www.aaxnet.com|AAx]
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Post #226,031
9/22/05 9:27:23 PM
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Our newspaper has a "Pass It On" feature.
Every Friday in the home/living section, there is a list of items that people would like to give away for free, knowing that it won't choke the landfill. We actually had our 10 year old hot tub removed for free by checking out the "PIO" location on the Dallas Morning News website. We were happy, they were happy.
If your dry cleaner doesn't accept them, there is surely another one that will.
Good luck and keep recycling! I have been doing it now for nearly 15 years. I have been known to go through the "black bag" to fetch items that should be in the "blue bag". At least I feel like I'm doing my part to save the environment.
Sure wish others would feel the same way.
Peace,
Amy
Pray for surviving Rita.
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