Marcia Rutan , Recycling & Composting Expert
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About Marcia Rutan

Recycling & Composting Expert

In local government for 20 years with recycling and composting programs. With Seattle Public Utilities since 2007 with Apt/Condo food waste program, Washington Green Schools, and public information response.


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    Recycle Chutes
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    Tom and Tom cover it well. Perhaps in the future when recyclables have become highly important resources this might be a way to capture more of them.

    Marcia Rutan answered in Recycle/Re-Use about 1 year ago
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    Can I recycle CD and DVD cases?
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    CD and DVD cases are not recyclable in Seattle's curbside program. Reuse is the best option. CD resale stores might be interested...

    Marcia Rutan answered in Recycle/Re-Use about 1 year ago
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    Can pizza boxes with just a small amount of grease be recycled with other cardboard?
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    If the pizza box is greasy or has any food in it, please put it into the food and yard cart. Otherwise, the box goed into the recycling.

    If you are highly ambitions or dedicated, you can remove the greasy/food soiled part and put that into food and yard waste for composting, while recycling all the clean part.

    Marcia Rutan answered in Recycle/Re-Use about 1 year ago
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    Why can't I recycle prescription bottles
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    Prescription vials that are amber or orange are made of a plastic material that shreds and is useless for recycling. They are not accepted.

    Empty plastic bottles that contained vitamins or medicine are accepted into recycling, no matter what the number is. The lids (smaller than 3 inches) go into the garbage.

    Marcia Rutan answered in Recycle/Re-Use about 1 year ago
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    Are restaurants allowed to use styrofoam takeout containers?
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    Styrofoam food take-out containers are now illegal in Seattle. If you find a restaurant using them, please send the name of the restaurant and the address to Pat.kaufman@seattle.gov 

    Marcia Rutan answered in Recycle/Re-Use about 1 year ago
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    Where can I find recycled office supplies around town?
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    Ask for green catalogues from office supply stores - Office Depot has a large online green catague with products that are rated for several green attributes: less toxic, Post-consumer content, emissions, etc. And many other suppliers have this too. Ask for it! 

    www.greenseal.org  has a good green report on many office supplies.

    You're already using Office Depot but maybe this link would be useful: www.officedepot.com/yourgreenoffice

    If your non-profit is a charity, you may be able to use the City of Seattle's purchasing contracts: http://www.seattle.gov/html/business/contracting.htm 

    Thanks for your commitment to recycling and the planet through taking this important step.

    Marcia Rutan answered in Recycle/Re-Use about 1 year ago
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    what happens to the plastic bags that i drop off at "recycle your bags here" bin at the grocery store?
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    Yes, we have plastic decking too and love it! So low maintenance and very attractive. No rot!

    Marcia Rutan answered in Recycle/Re-Use about 1 year ago
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    Frozen juice containers. Recyclable?
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    Ditto with Tom for Seattle

    Marcia Rutan answered in Recycle/Re-Use about 1 year ago
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    What are the environmental effects of recycling?
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    Sometimes the landfill space fact is the only thing that gets some people's attention, but you're right - it is not as critical as sustaining life on the planet through keeping habitat thriving, climate change mitigated, and reducing energy/water/resource use to create products. Waste prevention, recycling and composting have a big role to play in these crucial issues.

    For instance, using recycled paper to make new paper can reduce water use by 60%, energy use by 70%, and pollutants by 50%. This, of course, means the high importance of buying paper made with "post-consumer" content to make recycling really work. 100% PC paper is best!

    In addition, new systems-based accounting of greenhouse gases (David Allaway), rather than sector-based accounting, demonstrates that waste prevention and recycling play a far bigger role than previously suggested in climate change. The "upstream" impacts of getting resources (mining, oil, deforesting) plus the manufacturing process plus transportation plus disposal add up to a whopping impact on greenhouse gases. Think before you buy that next thing - is it truly needed? Remember, every single product is "embedded" energy and resources.

    In addition, organics in the landfill create methane which is a greenhouse gas at least 22 times the impact of CO2 on the atmosphere. Put food and yard waste into your food/yard cart to send it to the compsot facility instead.

    You specifically call out plastics. While I am not highly knowledgable about plastic, I can only imagine it is better to recycle old bottles for new products rather than demanding more and more new crude oil for that purpose.

    Marcia Rutan answered in Recycle/Re-Use about 1 year ago
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    What can my class recycle when we clean our classroom at the end of the year?
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    Thanks for this great question! Every year schools have a great opportunity with leftover supplies.

    First thing, create a re-use center for anything that could be used again by staff or students. Make it ongoing as a supply center. You could also feature a fun event a couple of times a year for "exchanges" or "shopping."

    For items that cannot be reused here are answers to your questions:

    1. Spiral notebooks are NOT accepted in Seattle's recycling program as the wire can jam up machinery. The paper is welcome; just remove it from the spiral.

    2. Stapled paper is definitely accepted in recycling.

    3. Three ring notebooks and plastic pencil cases are not recyclable in Seattle's program. If not reusable they go into the garbage.

    4. Destroyed books: Paperbacks are okay in the recycling bin. Hardbooks are not accepted in the general recycling program due to the glue in the spine. However, there are private recycling companies who will take them. Search "Recycling hardback books Seattle" on the web.

    5. Lots of stickers and tape items go into the garbage.

    Consider signing up your school for the Washington Green Schools certification program at www.wagreenschools.org. A reuse center can be a project to win your schools points!

    Marcia Rutan answered in Recycle/Re-Use about 1 year ago
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