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Curbside Recycling

Curbside Recycling Guide

Where does your Recycling Go?

Once your recycling is picked up, it is sent to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), where it is recycled. Typically, it is sorted, shredded, and collected for redistribution as a production material.

Where does your Green Waste Go?

Once picked up, your Green Waste is composted or mulched. Depending on the area in which you live, the Green Waste may be used as Alternative Daily Cover at landfills.

What does Recycling Save?

Depending on what you’re recycling, recycling can save oil, trees, metal, and/or sand. Plastic is produced using oil, so recycling plastic means that less has to be made, saving what oil is left. Cans and most electronics are made from or include metal, so recycling them saves metal. Paper is made from trees, so recycling paper means less trees must be cut down. And finally, glass is made from sand, so recycling glassware saves sand.

One other thing you save through recycling: energy. Although it is not always cheaper to recycle, the energy saved is usually substantial. For example: by recycling one aluminum can instead of making a brand new one, enough energy is saved to power a television for 3 hours.

What can be Recycled Curbside?

The materials that your Curbside Collection Service will take may differ depending on your collection provider.

  • EDCO will accept mixed rigid plastic (such as buckets, trash cans, crates, toys, lawn furniture, pet carriers, pallets, shelving, and more), rinsed glass bottles and jars, newspapers, cardboard, aluminum cans, and mixed paper. They do not accept plastic bags of any sort, PVC pipe, styrofoam, or vinyl siding. (If something does not fit into the blue recycling cart, it must be dropped off at an EDCO buyback center.)
  • Waste Management will accept cans, most forms of paper, cardboard, steel and tin cans, empty aerosols, and glass containers. They will not accept styrofoam, plastic bags, or paper towels.
  • Allied Waste will accept newspaper, cardboard, steel and aluminum cans, empty aerosols, batteries, glass bottles, and certain kinds of plastics. They will not take utensils, cookware, ceramics, styrofoam, or plastic bags.
  • Daily Disposal Services will accept glass containers, empty aerosols, plastic containers, cardboard, cans, foil, and paper. They will not take milk cartons, ceramics, plastic bags, or styrofoam.

Click on the links for more complete lists of acceptable materials. These guidelines may change with location. Consult your provider for details.

Plastics

However, just because something is made of plastic does not mean that it can be recycled. There are 7 specific common types of plastic, denoted by the numbers inside the recycling sign:

  • #1 (PET): #1 plastic, made of polyethylene terephtalate, is used most commonly in soda bottles. It can be recycled, and is made into fibers which are used in the manufacture of carpets, jackets, shirts, and shopping bags. It can also be used to make more soda bottles.
  • #2 (HDPE): #2 plastic is made from high-density polyethylene. Some forms, such as plastic jugs, can be recycled. The clear containers can be made into new ones, and the non-transparent ones are made into imitation wood. The #2 plastic used to make Haz-Mat suits, however, cannot be recycled.
  • #3 (PVC): #3 plastic is made from polyvinyl chloride. It is used in making plumbing pipes and food wrapping. These plastics can be recycled, but usually aren’t, due to a lack of factories that use the recycled form.
  • #4 (LDPE): #4 plastic is made from Low-density polyethylene. It is used in making bags for foods such as bread and frozen vegetables. Usually, these bags are not collected, because it costs more to recycle them than it does to make new ones. (In fact, Time has named the plastic grocery bag one of the Top 50 Worst Inventions.)
  • #5 (PP): #5 plastic is made from polypropylene, and it is used to make containers for foods such as yogurt and margarine. It can be recycled, but unless there is a factory nearby that uses #5 in bulk, it is unlikely that centers will collect them.
  • #6 (PS): At #6, Polystyrene is used to make cheap utensils, styrofoam, fast food containers, and more. That said, most times it is simply landfilled when collected. This plastic will not be recycled because of the far cheaper alternative of making more. This plastic has already been found in creeks, streams, and the oceans. Avoid. (Note: Although a few companies, such as DART and Cactus Recycling do recycle polystyrene, the availability of public drop off points is low. More common is the reuse of polystyrene packing materials by mailing services such as UPS.)
  • #7: Other: Any plastic that does not fit into the above categories is labeled with #7. Most of these plastic are almost impossible to recycle, because very few recycling organizations will take them. Polycarbonate plastics, one of the #7s, have been linked with certain conditions, such as neurological problems in developing fetuses. However, some of the other #7 plastics are the new, bio-degradable plastics. The problem with these ‘green’ plastics is that some need a compost heap to properly break down. Read the labels on your #7 bottles, and only toss them if they are not compostable.

Bio-degradable plastics? What are those?

Good question. In recent years, manufacturers have begun making plastics that will break down by themselves. These include:

  • Compostable plastics: These can be put with plant scraps and other compostable materials in order to break down. Bacteria and heat in the compost eventually break these plastics back down into water, biomass, and carbon dioxide. To be called compostable, a plastic must be able  break down to the point where it is not distinguishable from the rest of the compost in the same amount of time as it takes paper to break down, and cannot release toxins as it breaks up. Compostable plastics include Polylactic Acid plastics (PLA plastics). PLA plastics only break down in commercial composting facilities because of the high heat needed for them to break down, and even then, some PLA materials do not break down. (Such as utensils.)
  • Bio-degradable plastics: These plastics can be eaten by bacteria and other microbes. However, they are not required to be toxin free.
  • Degradable plastics: These aren’t necessarily broken down by microbes. They simply have to undergo a structural change based on environmental conditions. These break down slowly, and can be toxic.

Other Things that can be Recycled

Even if an item you have isn’t on the approved list given by your service provider, it may still be possible to recycle them. Failing that, you can reuse them in different ways, such as for arts and crafts.

  • Plastic Bags: Take these to a supermarket for recycling.
  • E-Waste: Drop old electronics off at any number of events held specifically to collect E-waste. These will later be broken down, and the recyclable parts removed.

Are there any Things that Can’t be Recycled?

Unfortunately, there are items that cannot be recycled or are not usually recycled. Some of these can be reused, however.

  • Ceramics: Break and mix with concrete to make interesting art pieces. Can be used for stepping stones once dry.
  • Polystyrene (Styrofoam): Save packing pellets from packages and use them later when sending things. This removes the need to buy more. Also, UPS stores will reuse the packing peanuts that you bring in.
  • Food: Can be composted. However, not all foods can be composted, and some must be thrown away. (For more info, check out the Compost Blog!)

Cutting Down

Remember, you don’t need to recycle something that you don’t get. By cutting down on certain things that you don’t need, you can reduce the amount of material that you have to recycle.

  • Junk mail: Junk mail reduction kits are available, and can be used to cut down on the amount of unwanted mail you receive. This saves time and paper.
  • Plastic bags: By using cloth bags instead of plastic, you save large amounts of plastic every year. Also, certain stores will offer incentives for bringing your own bags, such as Jimbo’s ‘It’s in the Bag’ program.

Curbside recycling guide

Where does your Recycling Go?

Once your recycling is picked up, it is sent to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), where it is recycled. Typically, it is sorted, shredded, and collected for redistribution as a production material.

Where does your Green Waste Go?

Once picked up, your Green Waste is composted or mulched. Depending on the area in which you live, the Green Waste may be used as Alternative Daily Cover at landfills.

What does Recycling Save?

Depending on what you’re recycling, recycling can save oil, trees, metal, and/or sand. Plastic is produced using oil, so recycling plastic means that less has to be made, saving what oil is left. Cans and most electronics are made from or include metal, so recycling them saves metal. Paper is made from trees, so recycling paper means less trees must be cut down. And finally, glass is made from sand, so recycling glassware saves sand.

One other thing you save through recycling: energy. Although it is not always cheaper to recycle, the energy saved is usually substantial. For example: by recycling one aluminum can instead of making a brand new one, enough energy is saved to power a television for 3 hours.

What can be Recycled Curbside?

The materials that your Curbside Collection Service will take may differ depending on your collection provider.

  • EDCO will accept mixed rigid plastic (such as buckets, trash cans, crates, toys, lawn furniture, pet carriers, pallets, shelving, and more), rinsed glass bottles and jars, newspapers, cardboard, aluminum cans, and mixed paper. They do not accept plastic bags of any sort, PVC pipe, styrofoam, or vinyl siding. (If something does not fit into the blue recycling cart, it must be dropped off at an EDCO buyback center.)
  • Waste Management will accept cans, most forms of paper, cardboard, steel and tin cans, empty aerosols, and glass containers. They will not accept styrofoam, plastic bags, or paper towels.
  • Allied Waste will accept newspaper, cardboard, steel and aluminum cans, empty aerosols, batteries, glass bottles, and certain kinds of plastics. They will not take utensils, cookware, ceramics, styrofoam, or plastic bags.
  • Daily Disposal Services will accept glass containers, empty aerosols, plastic containers, cardboard, cans, foil, and paper. They will not take milk cartons, ceramics, plastic bags, or styrofoam.

Click on the links for more complete lists of acceptable materials. These guidelines may change with location. Consult your provider for details.

Plastics

However, just because something is made of plastic does not mean that it can be recycled. There are 7 specific common types of plastic, denoted by the numbers inside the recycling sign:

  • #1 (PET): #1 plastic, made of polyethylene terephtalate, is used most commonly in soda bottles. It can be recycled, and is made into fibers which are used in the manufacture of carpets, jackets, shirts, and shopping bags. It can also be used to make more soda bottles.
  • #2 (HDPE): #2 plastic is made from high-density polyethylene. Some forms, such as plastic jugs, can be recycled. The clear containers can be made into new ones, and the non-transparent ones are made into imitation wood. The #2 plastic used to make Haz-Mat suits, however, cannot be recycled.
  • #3 (PVC): #3 plastic is made from polyvinyl chloride. It is used in making plumbing pipes and food wrapping. These plastics can be recycled, but usually aren’t, due to a lack of factories that use the recycled form.
  • #4 (LDPE): #4 plastic is made from Low-density polyethylene. It is used in making bags for foods such as bread and frozen vegetables. Usually, these bags are not collected, because it costs more to recycle them than it does to make new ones. (In fact, Time has named the plastic grocery bag one of the Top 50 Worst Inventions.)
  • #5 (PP): #5 plastic is made from polypropylene, and it is used to make containers for foods such as yogurt and margarine. It can be recycled, but unless there is a factory nearby that uses #5 in bulk, it is unlikely that centers will collect them.
  • #6 (PS): At #6, Polystyrene is used to make cheap utensils, styrofoam, fast food containers, and more. That said, most times it is simply landfilled when collected. This plastic will not be recycled because of the far cheaper alternative of making more. This plastic has already been found in creeks, streams, and the oceans. Avoid. (Note: Although a few companies, such as DART and Cactus Recycling do recycle polystyrene, the availability of public drop off points is low. More common is the reuse of polystyrene packing materials by mailing services such as UPS.)
  • #7: Other: Any plastic that does not fit into the above categories is labeled with #7. Most of these plastic are almost impossible to recycle, because very few recycling organizations will take them. Polycarbonate plastics, one of the #7s, have been linked with certain conditions, such as neurological problems in developing fetuses. However, some of the other #7 plastics are the new, bio-degradable plastics. The problem with these ‘green’ plastics is that some need a compost heap to properly break down. Read the labels on your #7 bottles, and only toss them if they are not compostable.

Bio-degradable plastics? What are those?

Good question. In recent years, manufacturers have begun making plastics that will break down by themselves. These include:

  • Compostable plastics: These can be put with plant scraps and other compostable materials in order to break down. Bacteria and heat in the compost eventually break these plastics back down into water, biomass, and carbon dioxide. To be called compostable, a plastic must be able  break down to the point where it is not distinguishable from the rest of the compost in the same amount of time as it takes paper to break down, and cannot release toxins as it breaks up. Compostable plastics include Polylactic Acid plastics (PLA plastics). PLA plastics only break down in commercial composting facilities because of the high heat needed for them to break down, and even then, some PLA materials do not break down. (Such as utensils.)
  • Bio-degradable plastics: These plastics can be eaten by bacteria and other microbes. However, they are not required to be toxin free.
  • Degradable plastics: These aren’t necessarily broken down by microbes. They simply have to undergo a structural change based on environmental conditions. These break down slowly, and can be toxic.

Other Things that can be Recycled

Even if an item you have isn’t on the approved list given by your service provider, it may still be possible to recycle them. Failing that, you can reuse them in different ways, such as for arts and crafts.

  • Plastic Bags: Take these to a supermarket for recycling.
  • E-Waste: Drop old electronics off at any number of events held specifically to collect E-waste. These will later be broken down, and the recyclable parts removed.

Are there any Things that Can’t be Recycled?

Unfortunately, there are items that cannot be recycled or are not usually recycled. Some of these can be reused, however.

  • Ceramics: Break and mix with concrete to make interesting art pieces. Can be used for stepping stones once dry.
  • Polystyrene (Styrofoam): Save packing pellets from packages and use them later when sending things. This removes the need to buy more. Also, UPS stores will reuse the packing peanuts that you bring in.
  • Food: Can be composted. However, not all foods can be composted, and some must be thrown away. (For more info, check out the Compost Blog!)

Cutting Down

Remember, you don’t need to recycle something that you don’t get. By cutting down on certain things that you don’t need, you can reduce the amount of material that you have to recycle.

  • Junk mail: Junk mail reduction kits are available, and can be used to cut down on the amount of unwanted mail you receive. This saves time and paper.
  • Plastic bags: By using cloth bags instead of plastic, you save large amounts of plastic every year. Also, certain stores will offer incentives for bringing your own bags, such as Jimbo’s ‘It’s in the Bag’ program.