Rethinking Recycling
with ReWorks

by Marcie E. Kress, Executive Director, ReWorks

During the holidays, you might find yourself with more materials you want to recycle. However, not all materials can be recycled through curbside recycling.
So, what goes in your recycling cart at home?
>Cardboard
>Cartons
>Metal food and beverage cans
>Paper
>Plastic bottles and jugs
All recyclables should be clean, empty and not bagged.
Only placing these materials in your home curbside recycling cart supports the collection of a contamination-free stream. When contamination is reduced or eliminated, recycling works more efficiently and keeps more materials out of our landfills.
Have something that’s not on that list? Do not put it in your recycling cart at home. It needs to go somewhere else. Holiday lights? Check with a scrap metal yard to see if they will recycle them, if not, place them in the trash. Plastic items other than bottles and jugs? Reuse them or place them in the trash. Holiday ribbons and bows? Reuse if you can, otherwise, to the trash they go. Paper towels or napkins? Compost them at home or put them in the trash.
Some tips when prepping materials for your recycling cart:
Cardboard: Should be clean (no food/oil), empty and flattened.
Cartons: Do not flatten cartons and it’s okay to keep the plastic spouts attached.
Metal food and beverage cans: Do not include metal hangers, scrap metal, lawn mower blades, metal pipes or other metal objects in your curbside recycling. Instead, take these materials to a scrap metal yard to be recycled.
Paper: Do not put shredded paper in curbside recycling. Shredded paper contaminates other recyclables and the fibers are too small to be captured at recycling facilities. Instead, shredded paper can go into paper recycling bins located at schools or faith-based facilities.
Plastic bottles and jugs: These items should be clean, empty and lids removed. If the lid comes separated from the bottle, it is too small to be captured at recycling facilities.
ReWorks, the solid waste management authority for all Summit County, provides programs, services and community outreach on waste reduction, recycling and other materials management strategies. For more information, visit www.summitreworks.com or call 330-374-0383. Email us at talk@summitreworks.com.

Marcie E. Kress, Executive Director, ReWorks

Sponsored by

ReWorks

2711 West Market St. Unit 13620, Fairlawn, OH 44333
www.summitreworks.com • 330-374-0383

Opinions and claims expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of ScripType Publishing.