Hey guys, here's a question for you. I want to recycle used vegetable oil containers, but I can't get the oily residue off of the inside of the container (#1 PETE), even soaking in warm soapy water there's still a noticiable film on the surface. Can I recycle containers like this or are they contaminants?
As long as you got as much as possible rinsed out yes you can. Whats left of the VO will just burn off in the process
Where we live, as long as they have the recycling logo and a number, and as long as they are "rinsed" it is fine.
cool. They're definitely rinsed. We always clean plastic containers out before they go in the bin, I was just concerned about the residue. Sounds like it's not an issue. Thanks!
The cleaner, the better, but my experience with our local recycling program is that they'll take just about anything. I've no idea what happens to the items once they get to their destination, but as long as you've made an honest effort with cleaning, and peeled the labels, that should do the trick.
Slightly off topic, but where I live, the plastic recycling just keeps getting more and more inclusive. Just a few years back it was #1 & #2 plastic containers only. These days, they seem to be able to deal with almost anything except toxics. I'm not just talking bottles, I'm talking lawn chairs, flower pots, toys, you name it. No instructions for washing it. We don't even have to sort -- chuck it all in the same bin as the paper and the metal. I'd love to know what changed, to allow them to do that. Whatever the reason, it certainly makes recycling easy. http://www.viennava.gov/Town_Services/trash.htm#recyclables But not styrofoam. No idea why that is, either.
