Trying to be a good recycling citizen...

[sparr0.livejournal.com]

If I've determined that removing a certain food residue (peanut butter from the walls of a jar, dried cheese from a paper to-go container, etc) is not something I am invested enough in being a good person to do... should I put it in the trash or recycling?

Comments

[masswich.livejournal.com]

Yes you're right, our answers are all a little off-topic. I think the point I was trying to make was: wash them as much or as little as you want (within limits.) Whatever it gets for you to recycle the item rather than throw it away. If they can use it, they will. If not, they will clean it or throw it away. People don't need to think too hard about it, just recycle things rather than deciding to throw them away because they are too dirty and you don't feel like washing them out.

The centralized cleaning they do at the recycling facility is presumably more efficient anyway.

Where I live, we pay for our trash bags, so there is all the incentive in the world to recycle. With free trash collection like Somerville, that isn't an issue.