How will you celebrate today?
All over the globe, citizens of every country will celebrate Earth Day 2020 in their own unique way. While we continue to deal with COVID-19, we can still find ways to share our commitment to do the right thing.
Maybe you saw our Chalk the Walk campaign and are sharing in so good old fashioned stay-at-home activities to celebrate. Perhaps you and your family are researching where to take a recyclable item in our district. No matter what way you are celebrating, we are there with you in spirit.
If you are like me, you probably are thinking “is there something practical I can do?” Of course there is, silly!
CLEAN. DRY. EMPTY.
At the District, we are sharing the Good News of Recycling! Items need to be clean, dry, and empty. What does that mean exactly? Items like metal cans, plastic bottles and jugs, and glass bottles and jars often come with food or a liquid substance in it. For recyclers that buy our materials, sell them to the various markets around the globe, need a clean product. A quick rinse of the material, removing any liquid or remaining food is crucial. No, we aren’t asking you to scrub your “trash” and put it in the “dishwasher.” Full disclosure, we have been asked this. We want to be crystal clear that for most items we recycle, a quick rinse will do the trick.
At our District drop offs, we accept the following items ONLY:
PAPER- MUST BE CLEAN and DRY
CARDBOARD- MUST BE CLEAN, DRY AND EMPTY. ALL ITEMS MUST BE REMOVED FROM INSIDE AND THROWN AWAY. FLATTEN ALL CARDBOARD
METAL CANS– MUST BE CLEAN, DRY AND EMPTY.
GLASS BOTTLES AND JARS- MUST BE CLEAN, DRY AND EMPTY.
PLASTIC BOTTLES AND JUGS- MUST BE CLEAN, DRY AND EMPTY.
The items above are literal. Nothing more; nothing less. The labels below are to be taken literally. No other items are acceptable in our bins and can lead to the entire truck load being taken to the landfill if the contamination rate is too high.
Please celebrate responsibly and recycle right. *See what I did there?*
