Recycling 101-Fair Time

By News Team
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Fri, Jul 13th, 2012
Posted in All Features

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LaVerne C. Paulson

Recycling Education Coordinator

It’s July in Fillmore County and that means the Fillmore County Fair will soon be in full swing. This year the dates of the fair are July 24 through July 28. From what I have seen and heard in past weeks, this year’s fair should be bigger and better than ever. So, get ready for all the exhibits the young, and sometimes not-so-young, have spent countless hours preparing to share their varied talents with you.

Along with all the exhibits, rides, fish, food, grand stand events, bottled water and soda, there has evolved a new tradition at the fair in recent years. Yes, the Recycling Containers will be back again. They will be found near the colorful blue and white recycling symbols. Please use these containers to deposit your bottles and cans when they are empty. Thousands of water bottles and soft drink cans have been collected each year to be recycled into new cans, toys, insulation, decking, lawn furniture, cars parts, and other items rather than being buried in a landfill. Recycling these bottles and cans shows the people of our county as well as visitors from around Minnesota and two neighboring states that the residents of Fillmore County support recycling and do indeed care about the environment. Bottles and cans are not garbage, they are recyclables...... and most of you know there is a big difference.

What do margarine tubs, yogurt containers, cottage cheese containers, whipped topping containers, and cream cheese containers have in common? They look like they are recyclable in Fillmore County, but they are not. They have the number “5” inside the chasing arrows on the bottom, and should not be combined with Fillmore County recyclables. There are a couple places in the Twin Cities that accept them for recycling, I believe a few in Wisconsin, and quite a few on the east coast, but not here. I received an e-mail from one Fillmore County resident who did not want to send all those containers to the landfill, so they were packed tightly into a box and shipped to New York for the cost of eleven dollars. If you are a “super recycler” and would like to know how and where to send them, please drop me an e-mail and I will get the information to you.

While you are at the fair, please stop by and check out the Resource Center/Recycling Center display and pick up the almost new Fillmore County Single Stream Recycling Guide. It contains almost everything you need to know about what is recyclable and what is not in Fillmore County as well as where you can deposit your recyclables anytime. I will also be roaming around at the fair, so if you have any recycling questions, please don’t hesitate to share them with me.

I would also like to remind you that I am available to visit with your group or organization concerning recycling in Fillmore County. There is no cost involved and the information presented is the same for a group of five as for a group of fifty. Also, feel free to e-mail me with questions or comments concerning recycling within the county. My county e-mail address is lpaulson@co.fillmore.mn.us

Thanks for helping to improve recycling in Fillmore County and I will see you at the fair.

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