Yesterday, Philadelphia officials announced that cartons can now be recycled curbside.
“Carton” generally applies to anything that has a waxy coating (plastic over paper) and contains liquids like milk, juice, soup and broth, wine, etc.
Cartons are considered highly sustainable at the front end (production) because they are lightweight and take less energy to transport. However, their mixed content makes them difficult to sort and recycle. In Philadelphia two facilities, Waste Management and Blue Mountain, will use new technologies to sort the cartons.
David Biddle, the city’s recycling coordinator, says that the lightweight cartons are not likely to significantly increase our recycling weight, but will make recycling a lot easier for the average resident. Says Biddle, “If it’s a consumer products package, it’s recyclable.”
With so much diversion, some are encouraging the city to now focus their attention on waste-to-energy plants. Others say it’s time to begin curbside composting. (According to the EPA, the hierarchy of waste starts with source reduction, then recycling and compost, and finally, disposal in landfills or incinerators.)
In other recycling news, Philadelphia has begun a program to recycling polystyrene foam with Dart Container Corporation. Foam (those pesky single-use containers with a “6” on the bottom) can be brought the Northeast Philadelphia Drop-Off Center. The foam will then be taken by Dart to their facility in Lancaster County for recycling.
