ISWM Introduces 'Recyclopedia' Tool
The Integrated Solid Waste Management Department (ISWM) recently installed a “recyclopedia” search tool on its Town of Bourne webpage to help residents determine whether a specific item should be recycled, composted or trashed.
The tool is easily accessed using the town’s website. ISWM’s webpage has a list of useful links on the left side; the recyclopedia can be found under the link titled “Recycling In Bourne.” From there, users can search for an item, such as plastic straws, and find out how those items should be disposed of. In the case of plastic straws, the trash is the best place for them.
Items are generalized, so rather than searching for something specific like “potato skins,” a search for “food scraps” will return a message that these items can be composted. For an item like cardboard boxes, the search tool instructs users to break down boxes and put them in recycling.
A news release from ISWM explained that it is increasingly important to recycle correctly and only put accepted items in the recycling cart. The search tool, it says, was developed by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection in conjunction with the processors in the state to ensure the latest information is available. The tool is derived from the state’s recycling information website (recyclesmartma.org), which has various search tools and articles to help residents recycle correctly.