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Dutchess_III's avatar

If I bundled straws for recycling, would they make it through the baler successfully?

Asked by Dutchess_III (46814points) October 17th, 2019

While we were in Pittsburgh, Kansas we had reason to visit the recycling plant and a lady gave us a pretty cool tour. They have a “baler” that crams like material into a bale that is then shipped out where ever.
I asked why they don’t take straws and she said because they just fall through the baler. It’s a pain in the butt for them because they have to manually pick them up.
As I was putting McD’s cups in the recycle bin I got the idea to put 2 or 3 or 4 straws through the hole for one straw that’s in the lid. Or, leave the lid on the cup and stuff a bunch of straws in the cup.
That should work, shouldn’t it?

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9 Answers

kritiper's avatar

It wouldn’t be cost effective to pay someone to take the lids off the cups and dump out the straws. The plastic the lids are made of is probably a different plastic than the straws if a solid color. And the baler might knock the lids off, spilling straws hither and yon.

Dutchess_lll's avatar

Well, I asked the same thing on FB and someone sent this link.
Kind of sounds like I’m on the right track. I’ll call our local recycling center tomorrow.

Pinguidchance's avatar

Driving straight past would remove all and any doubt.

Dutchess_lll's avatar

I need to find out how they process the plastic. If it’s melted and reprocessed noone would need to take them out of the cup, as long as the cup is the same plastic number as the straws.

Stache's avatar

I’ve always been told to not bundle anything and let everything free flow.

I thought you were a big proponent of not using plastic bottles for water. Why the hell are you using plastic straws?

Dutchess_III's avatar

I am a big proponent of not using plastic bottles for water because MOST people don’t bother to recycle them. They just throw them on the ground because they’re ass wipes. To that end I’m trying to figure out a way to recycle straws. Some one sent me this article. It makes it seem like I’m on the right track. I just need to check with my recycling center. Or change my straw habit.

Stache's avatar

Most people don’t recycle water bottles? Do you have stats? Large cities have recycling services that are used by the residents.

Maybe rural towns and people don’t recycle but that’s not most people.

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