The only time I’ve heard of people washing packaging material for recycling was in satire (making fun of the over-the-topness of the whole concept). In the real world, not so much. (Though it’s probably true that a few nutty individuals would do that.)
Like Phil Hartman's "Anal-Retentive Chef" on SNL.
Oh ita quite true - in fact it is even required and you can be fined if caught disposing of unwashed trash in the yellow bags / containers.
Actually, my town (run by typical green lefties) pushes recycling (althouogh you aren’t fined for not complying...yet). To recycle plastics & glass, they have to be clean. They’ll take the containers plants come in, & I spent part of my Sunday washing the dirt off the containers after I got my deck plants in.
And if you recycle paper/cardboard, it can’t have food residue on it. And I’ve been told that if any contaminents are found, they have to toss the load. It made me laugh, as my insanely leftie, green sister doesn’t bother to rinse out her tin cans.
“The only time I’ve heard of people washing packaging material for recycling was in satire”
I actually know quite a few people who wash them. I think they mainly do it because the recycle bin gets disgusting over time.
I am, however, a total slob. I just cleaned my fridge out Sunday and put 1/2 full jars of all kinds of things in the recycle bin.
We're required to wash glass, plastic & metal containers; and remove the labels, before recycling them.