Recent Orange County Recycling e-newsletters have included tips on recycling two difficult items: smoke detectors and cold gel packs. In honor of America Recycles Day (November 15), we’re sharing the tips here. Sign up for the recycling e-newsletter (and other county lists) online here.
It’s important to change smoke detectors as directed so that you’re always using a properly functioning detector. But it’s a lot more fun to swap them out when you can recycle the old one! There are two types of smoke detector. The first, ionization detectors, contain a tiny amount of americium-241, a radioactive element. Rather than throw this in the landfill, send the detector back to the manufacturer. Contact info for many brands can be found here. (Note, our county Household Hazardous Waste collection centers cannot accept anything radioactive, even a tiny little bit.)
The second type of smoke detector, photoelectric detectors, must go in the trash, but at least you can recycle the battery. (Remember: we have bins for battery recycling right in our stores.)
As for cold gel packs, they arrive when you order cheese or other fresh foods through the mail. You can keep them in your freezer and reuse them as ice packs, but if they start to pile up, you might want to dispose of them. They may be labeled “biodegradable” but that doesn’t guarantee that they are, so it’s better not to risk it. But there’s no need, because local places will take them for reuse: The Interfaith Council administrative office at 110 West Main Street in Carrboro will accept cold packs during office hours and use them in distribution of food to their clients. Some farmers at the Carrboro Farmers Market will also take them during the main market season (April-November): Baldwin Beef and Dawnbreaker Farms. Sunset Ridge Buffalo Farm will also take clean styrofoam shipping boxes (no larger than 15 X 10 inches).