DID YOU KNOW:

1. Plastics are the most “mis-recycled” items. Just because something is made of plastic doesn’t mean we can accept it for recycling.
2. There are TENS OF THOUSANDS of different kinds of plastic, with different additives and melting points. We can only recycle a small portion of them.
   • Why? Each type of plastic must be sorted, bundled, and shipped to buyers separately. 
   • Why? Because recycling is a business. There has to be a company out there willing to purchase the materials we collect to make them into something else. If no one is willing to purchase a specific type of plastic, we can’t recycle it.
3. The “chasing triangle” symbol does NOT mean an item is recyclable. It only helps label what kind of plastic it is. 
4. SHAPE MATTERS!! We categorize what can be recycled by SHAPE, not by the little number in the triangle.
   • Why? Because the little triangle just tells us what the “main ingredient” is. It doesn’t account for additives that can change the melting temperature or the method for recycling, sometimes making an item unwanted by a recycling company.
   • We can accept any Plastic, Glass, or Metal (Aluminum/Steel) items in the SHAPE of a BOTTLE, JUG, JAR, or CAN. That’s it. If it’s not in the shape of a bottle, jug, jar, or can, please don’t put it in our recycling drop-off site containers. 
5. We pay over $800,000 each year to collect and process the recyclables from our recycling drop-off sites. We do NOT make money on recycling.
   • Any items put in the recycling containers that are not recyclable must be pulled out and hauled away to a landfill for disposal, adding to that cost. 
   • We pay a flat fee each time a recycling drop-off container is emptied, whether it is full of recyclable materials or not.

Help us save money and make our sites more usable. Recycle RIGHT!