We live in the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County. We have been avid recyclers. Things are changing.

A few weeks ago, we received a notice of new recycling guidelines. The notice announced that “The International Recycling Market Changed...Here’s how it impacts you!”

It was reported some time ago that China, which historically purchased much of our recycled waste, was changing what it would accept. For whatever reasons, standards would be different going forward.

Plastics and metals in the bin and paper and cardboard bundled and tied outside the recycling bin. Henceforth, recycling would be restricted to clean paper and cardboard, empty plastic bottles and jugs and aluminum and steel cans.

As I read, I asked myself “what about glass bottles? Plastic and styrofoam containers? Plastic bags? The thought of just throwing these things into the garbage is hard to comprehend. It would be nice to get a reassuring word — from someone/anyone — that these items would be sorted from the general garbage — but I haven’t heard anything.

This is all new. Hopefully it is not as bad as it appears. We can’t be going back.