You are doing what works for you.  No problem there.  My comments are intended to be more generic and directed to the general readership of this thread.

There can often be a problem with comments that are intended to be "more generic" when they seem like a direct reaction to the person who brought up newspaper versus gift bags and have not much to do with the general import of this thread. Intentional or not, they seem misplaced and I understand why scully responded as she did.

Just kind of a random observation... If new guidelines are in effect shouldn't there be evidence of what happens when folks don't comply? I'm not seeing any blue cans that got left behind for non-compliance... I haven't read this whole thread, but has anyone posted about having their recycling left at the curb? 

Folks on FB on one thread were complaining bitterly about recycling left behind because of plastic bags, so it can happen. Just use a bin or container. We used paper bags inside our big recycling container. 

coming home to find your recycling denied can be quite demoralizing.  The town should offer grief counseling.

Robert_Casotto said:
coming home to find your recycling denied can be quite demoralizing.  The town should offer grief counseling.

 You ask and the township responds:

https://www.twp.maplewood.nj.us/home/news/have-questions-about-recycling-0

Have Questions About Recycling?

Posted on: September 21, 2018 - 2:16pm

On Tuesday, September 25^th from 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm, Maplewood Department of Public Works is hosting a recycling seminar at The Woodland (60 Woodland Rd) to address the changes to our recycling program. Due to a massive change in recycling markets over the past few months, the Township has been forced to make several adjustments to our collection process. The keynote speaker of our event is Essex County’s Recycling Coordinator, Wayne DeFeo, who has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the recycling world.

If you have any questions on whether or not a specific item is recyclable, please rinse it out and bring it to the event.

Please join us on September 25^th so together we can recycle right!

Questions about this event can be forwarded to Kyle Nelson at Maplewood DPW, knelson@twp.maplewood.nj.us or 973-762-1175.

Bump - recycling seminar is happening tomorrow.

"from 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm and 7:15 pm to 8:30 pm"

So they're doing it twice?

elvis said:
"from 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm and 7:15 pm to 8:30 pm"
So they're doing it twice?

 The first one is for No. 1 plastic, the second one for No. 2.

The Maplewood recycling rules were reviewed at a meeting last week.  Bottle caps should be put in the trash.  It was explained that if the caps stay on the bottles the recycling equipment is unable to crush the bottles.

davewells20 said:
The Maplewood recycling rules were reviewed at a meeting last week.  Bottle caps should be put in the trash.  It was explained that if the caps stay on the bottles the recycling equipment is unable to crush the bottles.

 So the guidelines that were mailed out are incorrect?

As they regard bottle caps - yes - they said a correction would be made.

Yesterday at Art Walk, I spoke with a TC member about the bottle lid issue.  He said that it is OK to leave the lid on as long as it is screwed on tight; but, that removing the lid and placing it in the trash was preferable.  Regarding the card that was mailed to residents, he said it was unfortunate that the contents of the card regarding bottle lids was not checked before the card was mailed.  There was no mention of a second mailing.

next up, how about requiring recyclables to be placed recycling bins, like civilized people.  not just thrown onto the ground in front of one’s house.

Robert_Casotto said:
next up, how about requiring recyclables to be placed recycling bins, like civilized people.  not just thrown onto the ground in front of one’s house.

 After that, require emptied recycling bins be returned to the place where they were found rather than strewn about the street like they do these days.

Before that fine homeowners who put cans out earlier than the stated 6PM prior to the day of collection .

rhw said:
Before that fine homeowners who put cans out earlier than the stated 6PM prior to the day of collection .

Disagree.  Much of the year it is dark by 6 pm.  It is difficult for some of us to carry a flashlight in one hand and a recycling bin in the other.

Maybe adjustments should be made for daylight hours however I believe the rule is that recycle cans are to be brought curbside after 6PM. If you tour the town you will see many cans out a full day before pick-up and left out a full day after pick-up. It mars the beauty of our neighborhoods. It is sloppy and a shame.

I don't mind so much when recycling is put out a few hours early.  The real issue is when homeowners leave their bins/cans out for two or three days after recycling has been picked up.  They should get warnings or a fine.

But a bigger issue is the haulers that throw your recycle bins/cans all over the place and often leave them in the street.  If Waste Management can pick up my cans full of garden waste and neatly replace the cans where they found them so can the recycling contractor.  Town officials need to impress this upon the contractor.

FYI - I just checked the Maplewood recycling website - recycling bins/cans can be put out at 5 PM the day before a pick up.

On topic but very far away from recent posts - cut the tops off your pizza boxes if there is no grease on the cardboard and place in recycle bin.  Can also just cut around the grease spots on the bottom if you want to get really anal.

- A guy who used to work with a paper mill that used recycled mixed paper content.

rhw said:
Maybe adjustments should be made for daylight hours however I believe the rule is that recycle cans are to be brought curbside after 6PM. If you tour the town you will see many cans out a full day before pick-up and left out a full day after pick-up. It mars the beauty of our neighborhoods. It is sloppy and a shame.

 I had a neighbor that put out their bins early Sunday morning every week for Monday pickup.  It was a joy to look at their pile of recycling every Sunday.

What about the Amazon manila envelopes with the bubble lining?

jamie said:
What about the Amazon manila envelopes with the bubble lining?

 Great question.  As the saying goes, when in doubt, don't put it in the recycling.  You could get creative and separate the lining from the paper but the residual glue still poses problems in the fiber recycling process.

Here's a video about why it is (and always has been) important to NOT put your plastic bags in the recycling. (It's Facebook-based, unfortunately, for those who do not partake) This is not such a huge issue to me because you can take those bags to bins at almost any grocery store.  And it isn't like the town is trying to punish us, but the recycling vendors have to have a market for their stuff or they go out of business.  And if your friend in another town has different rules, it's probably because their contract renewal hasn't come up yet, but the changes in China have rippled to us here, however inconvenient that may seem to us.  https://www.facebook.com/newshour/videos/665380457180350/?hc_ref=ARQyxmQHdIC1cbNNAJCs56sW7V7EvZTaE0IfA7G12Vlp5kfkrE91ii2Fh00vs-dHuME&__xts__[0]=68.ARA7oX8yAq2aEAawtb05zfnDQ-9fpA6jz5rOJCkj08LXrk9vbiL1cDv0Kt1WTHVjaWTSWYt1yvtQL9W9KDmTbjymhlJVgYlojxbdMXsOhDjLJAxwWQfAnHWNeQGkJoHMdeWNJtFZGQ3pTt8dCpL-rU5Bf...

I was speaking to Clive Bell, Public Works department head, and I mentioned the plastic bottle cap issue.  He said he spoke to the person who I believe he said is in charge of picking up our recycling and was told that they prefer that bottle caps remain on the bottles.  He said he sent out an email to TC members explaining this.  Hopefully, this resolves the issue.

Wow, I put my recycling out around 2 PM on Sunday.  Did not know that was not allowed.  I'm afraid if I wait I'll forget to do it.  

Also, what about cardboard boxes with small plastic windows--I guess we have to cut out the window now, right?

Many times the tops are not labeled or are labeled for one of the other (not #1 or #2) plastic, so I don't understand why leaving the tops on would be a good thing and I certainly don't understand why it would be a problem to NOT have the top on the bottle, so I'm going to continue to put the tops in the trash unless labeled #1 or #2 or unless/until I see a reasonable explanation of why it is a good thing to put them back on the containers.

Also, it is more difficult to flatten the containers if the tops are on and it is difficult, if not impossible, to put the tops on once flattened.

sac said:
Many times the tops are not labeled or are labeled for one of the other (not #1 or #2) plastic, so I don't understand why leaving the tops on would be a good thing and I certainly don't understand why it would be a problem to NOT have the top on the bottle, so I'm going to continue to put the tops in the trash unless labeled #1 or #2 or unless/until I see a reasonable explanation of why it is a good thing to put them back on the containers.
Also, it is more difficult to flatten the containers if the tops are on and it is difficult, if not impossible, to put the tops on once flattened.

 My understanding is that the loose bottle caps can lodge in the machinery.  Funny you say it is impossible to put the tops on once flattened.  I flatten one liter soda bottles and then put the caps on. For sturdier plastic bottles it depends. I often don't flatten, but toss the caps.   I Toss caps that don't screw on tight. 

  This is beginning to require too much guessing

This doesn't necessarily answer the question about why bottle caps should stay on the bottles, but hopefully this helps: 

Mr. Wells,

The determination as to what is, and is not recyclable is made by our end user (this is the company where our recyclables are taken after they have been collected from the curbsides).  Depending upon who the end user is, recycling regulations can vary from town to town. 

Our end user has confirmed that the information posted on our website is correct.  Bottle caps can remain on the bottles, and this practice is even preferred.        

Feel free to call if I can be of further assistance.

Regards,

Calvin Bell, CPWM, CRP

Director of Public Works

Township of Maplewood

359 Boyden Ave.

Maplewood, NJ  07040