Recycling just got easier and more efficient in Key West. Now you can recycle the plastic bottle caps, according to Waste Management.

The resins used to make the caps is similar to that used to make plastic bottles, and recycling plants have found a way to recycle both.  

In the past, customers were asked to remove caps and throw them in the trash. Now you can put the cap on the bottle and toss it all into the recycle bin.

This is just another way to make recycling easier for everyone concerned. Waste Management provides single stream recycling for Key West, which means that everything can be tossed into a single bin, then it's sorted at a plant on the mainland.

Recycling bottle caps also takes away one more excuse for not recycling. In the past there have been complaints that putting a bottle in the bin without its cap was messy, that those final dregs of pop or Gatorade would dribble into the bin and make it sticky. Leaving the cap on solves the problem.

The City of Key West has been working to decrease its carbon footprint and increase its recycle rate while encouraging residents and businesses to do the same. This is just another way that we, as a community, can think green and leave a better future for our children.