Why is recycling important?
When you recycle, your used items get a new life. Some materials can travel through the recycling process and be back on store shelves in as little as 30 days! Your aluminum cans, cartons, paper, plastic water bottles and cereal boxes can become many different things.
Additionally, recycling conserves land and natural resources. When you recycle, you keep materials out of landfills where they do not decompose. Instead, you are sending them to a recycling facility to be turned into something useful. Products made with recyclable material use fewer natural resources and energy, making recycling a sustainable activity that also supports local jobs. Recycling is good for the earth and the people who live here now and in the future!
Everything cannot be recycled, so you should always consider reducing and reusing first. If you don’t generate the waste to begin with, you don’t have to decide how to dispose of it.
Why do recycling rules change?
Recycling is an industry fueled by environmental responsibility but all driven by economics. Recycling rules change over time because recyclables are commodities that are sold and traded throughout the world and subject to market fluctuations.
The economics of recycling are rarely discussed but are at the center of the issue of recyclability. Currently, supply exceeds demand mainly because of recent restrictions China has placed on the materials they will import. China is tired of being the world’s dumping ground and now demands cleaner, sorted recyclables which they use to produce the goods we buy here at home.
What happens to my recyclables once they are picked up?
Our single stream containers are dumped daily. They are then transported to a Material Recovery Facility(MRF). The MRF accepts, sorts and processes tons of recyclables every day. All of these facilities accept metal cans, cartons, mixed paper and cardboard along with plastic bottles and jugs.
A MRF is a large sorting facility with many conveyor belts and machinery. Here, recycling trucks are weighed before tipping their loads on the building floor. Mixed recyclables are then scooped up by a front-end loader and placed on the sorting line. Large objects and contamination are removed first. The recyclables then travel through an automated sorting system which uses a disk screen, magnets, optical sorters and workers on the line to separate the materials.
The sorted materials are baled and sold to manufacturers who make them into a variety of new products. For instance, your cereal boxes may become a game board or paper towels. Your aluminum cans may become new soda cans or airplane parts. Your soup cans may become new bikes or even a bridge. The cycle is endless.
What if residents put the wrong things in their recycling? What happens then?
If you put items in the single stream recycling that are not accepted for recycling at the MRF, these items could jam or slow the sorting process and may even endanger workers. Some examples include clothing, plastic film, hoses and cords that tangle in the equipment, large metal objects that damage equipment, and syringes that can harm workers. Other items have little or no value, are too dirty to process or cannot be manufactured into something new.
Contaminants are costly to the MRF. Eventually, this cost could be passed on to the Solid Waste Management District because the contaminants must be sorted out and landfilled. That is why it is important to recycle properly. Many items that cannot be recycled at the MRF may be recyclable elsewhere.
How does one dispose of LATEX PAINT?
Latex paint is water-based and can safely be disposed of in your household trash once it has been solidified. One of the easiest ways to solidify the paint is to mix kitty litter with the paint and leave the lid off until the mixture hardens. Then it can be placed in your trash and is ready for the landfill.
How does one dispose of OIL-BASED PAINT?
Oil-based paints, varnishes, stains and other similar chemicals cannot be disposed of with normal trash.
What is the proper way to dispose of HOUSEHOLD BATTERIES?
In the mid 1990s regulations were enacted that significantly reduced or eliminated the amount of mercury used in the production of alkaline batteries. As a result alkaline batteries are safe for disposal in your trash. Rechargeable and button batteries are not safe for disposal in the landfill. Among their components are Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) Lithium Ion (Li-ion) and small sealed lead (Pb). You will want to find a local retailer that accepts these types of batteries.
How does one recycle used MOTOR OIL?
One gallon of motor oil is capable of polluting one million gallons of drinking water. Proper disposal is critical. Most auto service centers will accept up to 5 gallons of used oil per visit. And we accept motor oil at our Tox Away Event.
How can I dispose of a TELEVISION or other ELECTRONICS?
Vigo County Solid Waste has E Waste recycling every Tuesday and Wednesday from 9am-3pm. At this time a tv will cost $20 to dispose of while other electronics such as computer monitors, stereos, cell phones, speakers and radios are accepted at no cost.
Is wrapping paper recyclable?
In general, wrapping paper is not recyclable. Often the ink used isn’t simply on the paper’s surface. Many time the paper is “beater dyed” which means the color is actually in the pulp of the paper. The de-inking process used recycle most other types of paper is not effective at removing ink from “beater dyed” paper.
Why do plastics have numbers inside recycling symbols if they’re not recyclable?
The numbers on plastic containers are resin codes used by the plastics industry to identify the type of plastic chemicals used to make the container. It does not indicate whether that chemical compound can be manufactured into something new. So, not all plastics with the 1-7 symbol are recyclable. Currently, Vigo Solid Waste Management only recycles #1 #2, and #5 plastics.
