Q: Is it really helpful to recycle plastic and aluminum containers if we have to use a lot of precious water to rinse them, especially the greasy ones? Don’t they get washed when they reach the recycling plant?
—Steve Warren, Atlanta
A: When recyclables are collected at the curb, the containers are not washed when they reach a recycling facility, Connie Wiggins, executive director of Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful, told Q&A on the News. If consumers remove food and liquid from the containers, it is a big help in the recycling process, Wiggins wrote in an e-mail. She said many people fill a bowl with water or use the leftover water from washing dishes to rinse containers. At the recycling facility, the items are sorted and baled for shipment; a variety of industries receive the recyclables and use the raw materials to produce new goods.
Q: You recently had an article about the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Can you print information on the Virginia-based Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools? I understand that it is an approved national form of accreditation as well.
—Don Davis, Social Circle
A: The Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, or TRACS, which was created in 1971, is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as a national accrediting body for Christian institutions, universities, colleges and seminaries. The nonprofit organization provides accreditation to postsecondary institutions offering associate, baccalaureate and graduate degrees, according to its website. The website shows that more than 40 schools, including Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C., and Atlanta's Beulah Heights University, are accredited by TRACS.
Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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