After two recent articles concerning this topic, I am sure that most of you are aware that there are going to be a few changes in recycling in Fillmore County as of April 1, 2017. The first part of this article is going to list many of the materials that will be accepted for recycling, and the second part will list the materials that should not be recycled, but instead sent to the landfill.
RECYCLABLE MATERIALS include plastic soda bottles, milk jugs, shampoo bottles, over the counter medicine containers, contact solution bottles, detergent bottles, amber prescription bottles, motor oil bottles that are drained, and ALL PLASTIC CONTAINERS WITH THE NUMBERS 1 THROUGH 7 INSIDE THE CHASING ARROWS on the bottom of the container. This includes all those number 5 yogurt, margarine, and cottage cheese containers you have been waiting to get rid of.
Cardboard and paper products that should be recycled are any type of corrugated boxes, cereal boxes with the waxy inside bag removed, soda boxes and beer cartons, mail and envelopes (you may leave the plastic window in the envelope), bagged shredded paper, magazines and catalogs, hardcover books, paperbacks, toilet paper and paper towel tubes, phone books, clean pizza box covers that don’t contain food and oils, as well as paper egg cartons.
Any clear or colored glass jars and glass bottles are now recyclable in Fillmore County.
All aluminum cans and tin/steel cans, along with their lids, are certainly recyclable, as are clean aluminum pie plates and aluminum foil, empty aerosol cans, and metal pots and pans.
NOT TO BE RECYCLED MATERIALS that should find their way into your landfill garbage include food waste, paper plates, paper towels, paper napkins, ceramics, dishware, diapers, window glass, mirrors, plastic wrap, packing peanuts, bubble wrap, wax boxes, photographs, medical waste, polystyrene, Styrofoam, plastic toys, sporting goods, foam egg cartons, wood, light bulbs, yard waste, and garden tools.
All forms of plastic garbage bags are not recyclable and should be landfilled. Grocery bags are not to be placed in recycling, but should be landfilled, or better yet, taken back to a store that accepts them and sends them to a plastic recycler.
I am sure these lists are not perfect and that during the next few weeks, perhaps months, there will be many questions on things listed or not listed in this article. I will keep you informed of any changes to these lists to keep you up to date. Please keep this article near your recycling area so you can refer to it as necessary. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me at lpaulson@co.fillmore.mn.us or call the Fillmore County Resource Recovery Center at (507) 765-4704 and leave a message for me.
Leave a Reply