Question: Just checked out your blue bin recyclable label (Siel’s note: not MY label, but the city of LA’s). Thanks. These were not listed, so are probably not recyclable, but thought I’d check:

Styrofoam (not peanuts.)
Aluminum Foil.
Saran Wrap
Paper Towels.

Thanks, Sim

Answer: Check the label (PDF) again, because aluminum’s listed on there — and even more specifically, aluminum foil’s listed on the LA Bureau of Sanitation list I link to in that post. That list also says “all clean film plastic” is acceptable, resolving your saran wrap issue.

As for styrofoam peanuts and paper towels: The former can be dropped off at FedEx, UPS, or many other independent mailing and shipping stores, while the latter can be composted (but not recycled — don’t put used paper towels in your blue bin).

But let me take this opportunity to ask you to reconsider your use of saran wrap and paper towels. Clearly, you’re a green-minded person who wouldn’t be asking me ’bout recycling this stuff if you didn’t care about the planet. Which makes me ask: Wouldn’t it be cool if you didn’t have to worry about recycling / composting this stuff because, OMG! you don’t use the stuff?

Yes, it takes a teensy bit of an adjustment period, but getting rid of saran wrap and paper towels is actually quite easy. I replaced the former with reusable air-tight containers, and the latter with reusable real towels and dish cloths. Try it for a month, and especially during these economically uncertain times, you’ll find yourself wondering why, before this post of mine, you wasted so much money on unnecessary disposable products you didn’t even need….

Image via lacity.org

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