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SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017
ASK A MASTER RECYCLER
For the Siuslaw News
(A monthly column of recycling
information provided by Florence
Master Recyclers)
Q. Are the lids from plastic milk
jugs recyclable?
A. In many places, not usually. But
here in Florence, and especially now,
yes!
In general, all lids should be
removed from your bottles, tubs and
jugs before recycling. Lids are not
accepted in most curbside commin-
gled recycle bins, and they are not
accepted at the Florence Transfer
Station. This is because the lids are
usually a different plastic resin type,
or a different preparation of that
resin, than the container is.
And that means that the lid and the
container are likely not recyclable in
the same way, so they can’t go to the
same location.
However, the first piece of good
news about plastic lids is that in our
area they are one of the items accept-
ed at the self-service Recycling Kiosk
in the lobby at Florence City Hall.
Lids accepted at this location
include those that twist on to a
threaded neck-like your milk jug lids,
along with shampoo, water, soda,
laundry detergent and pill bottle lids.
The Kiosk bin also accepts flip-top
plastic caps like those found on
ketchup bottles. All lids must be
clean and dry. Please do not place any
of the following lids in the kiosk:
margarine container-type lids, dis-
posable coffee cup lids or caps with
metal parts. Those are not recyclable
here and must go in the trash.
The second piece of good news
concerns just the larger-sized plastic
milk jug lids. Laura Smith, also
known as “Ms. Science,” is currently
seeking the 1-and-a-1/2-inch size
plastic screw-on milk jug lids, in any
color. She uses these in her popular
Science Lab at Siuslaw Elementary
School and she needs a lot of them
before March 8.
Please make sure the lids are clean
and dry, then drop them off at the
Elementary School office, or at the
Recycling Kiosk at Florence City
Hall. At the Kiosk, look for the spe-
cial bin that is designated for
Elementary Science Lab.
Q. What does St. Vincent de Paul
do with donated mattresses?
A. Most mattresses and box
springs donated to SVDP are recy-
cled. Some are refurbished and then
sold or reused, and a few are dropped
off in good enough condition that
they can be directly used in SVDP’s
social service programs or sold in
their thrift stores.
The St. Vincent de Paul Society of
Lane County manages the largest
mattress recycling operation in North
America; they operate three mattress
recycling facilities, including one in
Eugene. In 2015, they recycled more
than 195,000 mattresses and box
springs in Oregon and California!
Approximately 85 percent of a typ-
ical mattress or box spring is recycla-
ble.
Q. Can you make hot compost in
Florence during the winter?
A. Yes, hot composting can be
done year-round here, as can cold, or
slow, composting. Composting is
very adaptable; experiment and find a
method that works for your lifestyle.
Hot, or active, composting is more
labor intensive, but can produce fin-
ished compost in just 6-12 weeks.
Slow composting, by contrast, can
take 6-12 months to create a usable
soil amendment.
What to put in the compost pile?
For hot composting, most organic
materials can be added. Pet waste
should always be avoided. Hot com-
post is made in a single batch, with
no new material added, other than
water, while it is cooking.
For best results, the pile size
should be at least 3 cubic feet.
The recommended mix of ingredi-
ents for hot composting is 2 to 1 to 1
to 1/2. That is: 2 parts Nitrogen
(kitchen scraps, grains, teabags,
eggshells) + 1 part Hi-Nitrogen (cof-
fee grounds, manure, fresh grass clip-
pings) + 1 part Carbon (dry leaves,
paper towels, cardboard, shredded
paper) + 1/2 part Structure (wood
chips, non-rotted straw).
For hot composting, the materials
are mixed well, turned frequently,
and begin to break down immediate-
ly.
Active compost piles can generate
a lot of heat, up to 170 degrees
Cancer Support Group to Kiwanis Club selling See’s
hear about Jin Shin Jyutsu Valentines candy at Sears
The Florence Kiwanis Club
is selling See’s Candy for
Valentine’s Day. The Kiwanis
has set up its candy display in
the Florence Sears Showroom
at Sixth Street and Highway
101.
They will be selling candy
Monday through Saturday
from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., or
COURTESY PHOTO
Rosemary Alden
young and old.
There is no age limit.
Each adult will receive a
flower to give their special lit-
tle date and there will be
refreshments and couples pho-
tos, too.
Music will be provided by
DJ-JD.
Cost is $15 per couple or
$25 per family.
FloTones seeks singers for
spring jazz concert
The FloTones are search-
ing for a few good singers.
Florence's premier vocal
jazz ensemble is currently
working on FloTones’ Songs
of Faith for this spring as
well as maintaining a reper-
toire of jazz and pop clas-
sics.
If you have seen and
DIRK’S
5
201 -
heard the FloTones on stage
at their last September’s
Latin Rhythms show or saw
them in December’s Holly
Jolly Follies you know the
FloTones enjoy singing, per-
forming and presenting a
great musical experience.
For more information call
John Culp at 541-590-0210.
DRIVER ED
ODOT Approved
Teen Driver Ed Course
Begins February 16 th
Classes meet at Siuslaw High School
Contact Rob at (541) 999-9179 or
robgriffes@gmail.com
F
BEST O
E
attend this informative presen-
tation.
For more information, find
Alden and Jin Shin Jyutsu on
Facebook.
YYFAP to host ‘Little
Sweethearts Dance’ Feb. 11
Bring your little sweetheart
to the fifth-annual Yachats
Youth & Family Activities
Program (YYFAP) Family
Valentine Dance.
The dance will be held
Saturday, Feb. 11, from 7 to 9
p.m. at the Yachats Commons.
mother and son, father and
daughter, or any couple com-
bination of friends and family
Sunday from noon to 3 p.m.
until the candy is sold out.
The See’s Candy sale is a
fundraiser for the Florence
Kiwanis Club and all the pro-
ceeds from the sale support
programs for children and
youth in the community.
For more information call
541 997-3455.
-
On Tuesday, Feb. 28, in the
conference room at the
Siuslaw
Public
Library,
Rosemary Alden will speak at
the Cancer Survivors Support
Group about an acupressure
called Jin Shin Jyutsu (JSJ).
JSJ is an ancient Japanese
form of acupressure that
assists the body’s innate heal-
ing ability for physical, mental
and emotional projects.
“JSJ uses healing energy in
the hands,” says Rosemary.
“It’s empowering to bring for-
ward the intelligence of the
energy body with simple
touch.”
Anyone who would like to
learn more about JSJ should
F LO E N C
R
Best Burger!
We serve Breakfast and Lunch!
Donuts • Bagels
Biscuits and Gravy • Breakfast Burritos
Deli Sandwiches and so much more!
Open 7 Days a week!
Eat in or call for take out!
1136 Hwy. 101 • Florence •541-997-8630
Fahrenheit. That might be welcome
on a winter day!
Visit LaneCounty.org/Compost for
more information. Or, plan to attend a
Free Compost Demonstration at the
Food Share Garden (2190 Spruce St.)
on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 10 a.m., with
Compost Specialist Rodney Bloom.
____________________________
Florence Master Recyclers are
part of the Lane County Master
Recycler Program, a service of the
County's Public Works Waste
Management Division since 2002.
The mission of the Master Recycler
program is to bridge the gap between
awareness and action by motivating
people to reduce solid waste at home,
work and play. This monthly column,
written for The Siuslaw News,
answers commonly asked recycling
questions.
For more recycling information,
visit www.ci.florence.or.us/bc-emac/
recycling OR www.lanecounty.org/
recycle OR follow Master Recyclers
of Florence on Facebook. To reserve
free Durable Dishware for any occa-
sion, call 541-590-0506.
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
S USY L ACER , M ASTER R ECYCLER
A MONTHLY COLUMN OF RECYCLING
INFORMATION PROVIDED BY F LORENCE
M ASTER R ECYCLERS