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Letters: Can Pleasanton expand plastics recycling?

Dear Editor,

I remember a few months ago you did a street poll asking if Pleasanton does a good enough job at recycling. I know first hand Pleasanton does a better job than other cities around the United States, especially with yard waste. However, it seems that we are very limited as to the types of plastics we are able to recycle, only No. 1's and 2's. My family throws away a fair amount of Nos. 5's and 7's, numbers I know are accepted in nearby California cities.

Any idea why Pleasanton cannot expand the types of plastics they will accept? Thanks for checking into this.

Ellie Miller Pleasanton

Posted by Matt Morrison, a resident of the Pleasanton Meadows neighborhood, on Aug 22, 2008 at 1:40 am

Hi Ellie!

I recently was down at the Pleasanton Garbage Service waste transfer station at 3110 Busch Road recycling plastics. I found that they take many more #'s than I was aware of. I am sure they take 1's, 2's and 5's. I am not sure about 7's, but I expect they take those too. It seemed to me they had a bin for each number.

I don't know if there are more specific guidelines if you "blue bag" your plastics.

You can call Pleasanton Garbage directly at (925)846-2042.

Happy recycling!

Posted by frank, a resident of the Pleasanton Heights neighborhood, on Aug 31, 2008 at 8:34 pm

To Cholo:

Rubbers and plastics are the same "stuff", polymers. It's considered a rubber (soft and rubbery) if its glass transition temperature is below what environmentally is normal, and it's a plastic (hard and brittle, unless plasticized with DOP or BisA) if its glass transition temperature is higher than that. If the polymer is cross-linked (either rubber or plastic), it is very difficult to recycle (like rubber tires).

Get it?