New self-serve bins in Walmart parking lots in Hammond and Ponchatoula are convenient, but they don’t completely replace recycling opportunities at the cities’ maintenance facilities and the parish landfill. At the Walmart recycling bins, you sort the recyclables yourself as follows: Clear plastic containers including clear bakery and produce trays/clamshells, clear fruit cups and clear plastic egg cartons. NOT accepted are colored plastic, plastics #3 PVC, #5 PP, #6 PS or #7 other.
Aluminum including drink and food cans, foil and baking tins. NOT accepted are plastic or glass. Home cleaning/beauty bottles including plastic milk and water jugs, laundry detergent jugs, household cleaning bottles and personal hygiene bottles.
NOT accepted are aerosols and glass. Plastic bags and films including plastic shopping bags, bread and cereal bags, cling and bubble wrap, and freezer, garbage and produce bags. NOT accepted are chip or snack bags, salad bags, pet food bags, boxes or cartons.
Plastic bottles including plastic water soda and sports drink bottles. NOT accepted are milk or water jugs, glass or aluminum. Rigid plastic food packaging including yogurt, butter and other dairy tubs; frozen and ready meal trays.
NOT accepted are milk jugs, shopping bags and film, snack or chip packaging, cardboard or paper. This involves considerably more sorting than my husband, the Professor, does. Currently, we use only three containers for our recyclables – one for paper and cardboard, on.