If you use the recycling drop-off bins in Pattison Park or at the Fairgrounds, you have likely noticed the A-frame signs and electronic message board requesting that you keep the bins plastic bag free. If you haven’t seen the signs, both are part of a messaging campaign that may soon be coming to a recycling drop-off site near you. Many of you have already made the switch and stopped putting your recyclables into plastic bags, and for that we are grateful. Keep up the great work! For those who aren’t quite sold on why plastic bags can’t go into recycling bins or anyone who likes to learn more about the latest and greatest recycling habits, keep reading!
While plastic bags, films, and wraps are recyclable by many manufacturers like Kroger, Meijer, and Home Depot, they are not recyclable by Rumpke. Throwing plastic bags filled with recyclables into drop-off bins can do more harm than good as the entire bag, contents included, are likely to be thrown away at the Recycling Sorting Center. If any plastic bags make it through this preliminary inspection, they bind up sorting machines and can wreck multi-million dollar equipment. Putting recyclables in plastic bags is not only a waste of time and resources for you, but it also causes downtime, lost revenue, and risky working conditions for the recycling personnel who have to crawl into machines to pull out the tangled bags.
There are several great alternatives to using plastic bags to contain your recyclables. One option is to purchase a small trash can or plastic tub to hold loose recyclables. When the container becomes full, it’s time to take the recyclables to the drop-off center. You can then dump your loose recyclables directly into the drop-off bin. Another option is to use paper bags or boxes to hold your recycling. Just don’t forget to break down those boxes before you toss them in the bins!
No matter what option you choose, by keeping plastic bags out of recycling bins and leaving your recyclables loose, you are helping make Clermont County a little bit better for everyone. For more information on recycling in Clermont County, please visit www.oeq.net.
