New plastics accepted at Master Recycler Round-up!

It is always exciting to get new info about plastic recycling (does this tell you anything about my life?). Agri-Plas, the company that collects all of the plastic from the Master Recycler Plastic Round-ups (Jan. 26 and Feb. 9) is accepting new types of material. Partly because they've purchased new machines that can better sort different types of plastics, and partly because the markets for recyclable materials change all the time. Here are some new additions:

Mylar packaging: Think about those big, shiny balloons -- they are made of Mylar. Mylar is also used in food packaging (so I've read on the Internet) but I'm hard pressed to come up with an example. I wonder if the shiny bags that Goldfish crackers are packed in are Mylar.

Tortilla chip bags: Best. News. Ever. Crinkly, crunchy bags are accepted (also remember that cereal bag liners are OK) and NO LONGER NEED TO BE SORTED. All 'crunchy' bags can be mixed in with other plastic bags.

Vinyl: PVC pipe is still not accepted, but if you have any vinyl you can now recycle it at the Round-ups. The best example I can think of is a thick, plastic bag with a zipper that a set of sheets might be packaged in. I usually find re-uses for these (storing wool socks in the summer), but if you want to get rid of them you can recycle them!

NOTE: Agri-Plas has run into problems with plastic items that have metal embedded in them. Lotion pumps that have springs are bad news. If you can't remove the spring, then toss the pump in the trash. Some small toys might also have embedded metal.

ALSO: Agri-Plas cannot process compostable plastic, marked "compostable" or #PLA7. I really, really think that compostable plastic is a scam. It doesn't break down completely in high-heat compost and you cannot recycle it. Best to avoid it!

Portlanders: do you have any idea how lucky we are that Agri-Plas exists? Without them, we would be tossing most of our plastics in the garbage! I wish all metro areas had a resource like Agri-Plas. If you go to Plastic Round-ups, please try your very best to sort your tubs and cartons by number, remove all metal and keep that darned "compostable" plastic out.