Do you need to wash out cat food cans before recycling them or can they be recycled in their slightly dirty ?

Question

state?

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I wonder if washing them wastes more water and hurts the environment more than just trashing them. I hate not recycling, though.

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

My mother-in-law, who is 60, works at a recycling center for $7 an hour, OUTSIDE in the freezing cold and in the blazing heat. She does work that would tire a man half her age, and never complains because she believes so strongly in recycling and living green.

I asked her your question and this was her response "It sure is appreciated when people take a minute or two to wash them out. You wouldn't leave it in your kitchen without washing it, would you? It smells and it draws rodents and other critters. We have workers AND volunteers there that help us, and it's a real day-wrecker when someone throws up because of the horrible smell. Thanks to everyone who recycles, and especially to those who consider that the less we have to handle your recyclables, the more recycling we can do."

Source(s):

my 60 year old mother-in-law who has worked in a recycling center for 20 years (yes, before it was cool) :-)

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

I love her and promise to wash them from now on.

Answer 2

Wash them completely. They don't accept them with crusted food on them. Learned that one the hard way.

Answer 3

Best rinse out with hot water

Answer 4

I don't wash anything that I recycle

Answer 5

I don't even know you anymore.

Answer 6

What have you become?

Answer 7

you do know the people who sort out recycling materials do it by hand. You don't have to though but it would be kind

Source(s):

been to recycling place

Answer 8

Better boil 'm out to make some stock ..... You Waster !.
There's a recession on, so you might as well get used to it.

Source(s):

Once ate a whole tin fried with rice when young and drunk.
Thinking it was a goulash, never even tasted the difference.
THAT DRUNK !.

Answer 9

<-----licks them clean for me.....

Answer 10

A quick rinse is prob your best idea, will get rid of the smell too while your waiting for them to be collected.

Answer 11

I rinse them out, having the recycle sit there for a month unwashed can really attract the wrong crowd. Raccoons, badgers, rats and mice, not to mention the blow fly

Answer 12

You are supposed to scrape the sides with a spatula * for sammich spread or lick them clean with your tongue. Recycle the cat .

Source(s):

*Purchase only authentic spatulas from Spatula City,

Answer 13

Well, I usually clean them thoroughly and store them in the kitchen cabinets. They make for funny "glasses" when serving bloody marys at parties.

You have a point though. We're in a drought here in Colorado. Water conservation is crucial.

Answer: leave 'em dirty.

Answer 14

I leave mine dirty,the cats from the 'hood clean them when I put the recycling out...


state of Illinois

Answer 15

Just let the cat lick them clean.

Answer 16

i dont think the recycle guys would exactly like to clean out beef and liver flavoured mould grown muck before the cans are recycled. plus, if you dont clean it , that would mean theres a trace of catfood in the can of coke you are drinking now.a sfor the water problem, dont worry. youd save much more water by leaving the hose off while you chat with your neighbour or something

Answer 17

see for months I've been wondering who you are... now I figured it out...

you're the crazy cat guy who lives down the block from me!!!


*cries*

Source(s):

crush over!!!