Is it OK to recycle political campaign signs, dog food bags and foil-lined cartons?
A reader asked if those campaign signs on every street corner during an election can be recycled when they are collected after the election.
They cannot be recycled. Many of us no doubt wish they were never used in the first place. Once the signs are made, however, they are destined for a landfill some day in the future. Perhaps some will be reused first. It would be nice to hear that a new sign was pasted over an old one.
Most of us aren’t in control of those signs, but we can make our own choices with dog-food bags.
That plastic liner in that bag is meant to keep the dog food fresh. Your best friend shouldn’t have to eat stale food. But that liner also means the bag can’t be recycled. Unless you can separate the liner from the paper, it’s trash.
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The same goes for cartons that are lined with foil to keep some drinks fresher. You’ll have to throw them out. As mentioned earlier in this space, cardboard cans with a metal rim can’t be recycled either.
You may see a trend here. Some items that are a combination of materials that can’t be separated shouldn’t be recycled in Tucson or with Waste Management.
Arizona Sanitation’s website (arizonasanitation.com), however, indicates they will accept pet food bags, so nothing is absolute.
If you aren’t sure, throw it out.
