Determining whether or not a waste is classified as solid waste is the crucial first step in the process of identifying hazardous waste. A material cannot be regulated as hazardous waste unless it is first determined that it is solid waste. When recycling, the way a material is regulated by the RCRA (i.e., food scraps) can create mold that can spread to other recyclable materials and ruin them. Liquids can ruin the paper fiber and make it harder, or it can't be recycled.
Fortunately, Best Buy and Staples have recycling programs that accept electronic cables and connectors. As always, what can and cannot be recycled where you live or work will depend on the regulations established by your city or municipality, as well as whether or not they participate in any external program, such as a food waste collection and processing program. Reuse, recycling, and recovery should be considered ways to manage hazardous waste that, if properly carried out, can prevent environmental hazards, protect scarce natural resources, and reduce the country's dependence on raw materials and energy. Many hazardous waste recycling operations can present serious health and environmental risks and must be subject to the regulation of subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
Knowing what can be recycled (and, just as important, what can't be recycled) in your city is critical to improving the operations of your local material recovery center (MRF), as well as ensuring that items that can't be recycled on the sidewalk, such as plastic bags and film and electronic waste, are brought to the right place for recycling. While it's helpful to clean recyclable materials before placing them in your company's recycling bin, most municipalities recognize the burden of washing recyclable materials for both businesses and residents, and therefore, there's no need to aggressively wash recyclable materials, as long as you've mostly scraped them off and rinsed them quickly. What is recyclable and what is not recyclable in your city will vary depending on a number of factors, so take this list with reservations and contact your city to confirm what materials can and cannot be recycled, how to classify your recycling, and if your city imposes fines on businesses and businesses for improper recycling practices. Thin plastics, such as bags and wrappers, get entangled in recycling equipment and the processing plant has to shut down.
Stopping equipment to remove plastic slows processing, increases costs, and poses a potential risk to worker safety.
