recycling rules

Waterford Township Environmental Commission lowers residents’ taxes through a recycling sticker campaign Earlier this year, Waterford Township, a small town in Camden County, New Jersey, realized it had a recycling problem.  Dave Chiddenton, the chair of Waterford Township Environmental Commission...

Do you ever wonder if you really need to scrape that last bit of ketchup or maple syrup out of the jar before tossing it into the recycling container? Are clean recyclables key to an efficient and successful recycling process? The answer... well, it depends. Residue left on plastic or glass containers is typically flushed out with water at some point in the process. Goo and gunk  traces on steel and aluminum cans is most likely burned away during the recycling operation as well. Essentially there's no need to waste tons of water by running the faucet repeatedly over your recyclables—even if you were to get them pristine clean, they'd probably end up getting washed again. However, you do NOT want to throw half-full food items in the recycling bin as this can lead to mold, insects, vermin and other unsanitary conditions.