CBS Boston, March 9, 2023 (excerpts) Video here
PEABODY – About one-third of Americans recycle, but despite our best intentions we recycle things that hurt the cause.
So, do we really know what goes in the recycling bin?
To find out, we went to Green Works, a recycling process facility in Peabody. They have a building called the “materials recovery facility,” which is “the place where the stuff you throw in the recycling bin ends up.”
The hodgepodge of paper, plastic and poor decisions embark on a journey, climbing the conveyor belts knowing that only the best will make it here, where dreams of a second life come true.
While workers snatch all the cardboard they can find, mega magnets grab cans.
But, a lot of what comes in here cannot be recycled, like fancy feathered boas, coat hangers, books and children’s toys. Donate those items.
“We see things like bowling balls and boots,” Carey said.