Public Works
Public Works Blog
5 tips to remember when visiting a drop-off recycling center
Posted On: March 24, 2017
The rules of recycling can be a little confusing. Let’s face it. There are a lot to keep track of.
What kind of plastics can I recycle? Is green glass recyclable? What about brown? What do I do with all these plastic grocery bags?
We don’t want a few easy-to-answer questions to cause you to hesitate to do your part for the environment. So we asked Chelan County Solid Waste Coordinator Brenda Blanchfield to share the most common mistakes crews see over and over (and over) again at drop-off recycling facilities in Manson, Chelan and Dryden.
Here are her answers:
- A plethora of plastic. When it comes to plastics, the first question to ask is: Are you using your curbside service or taking your plastics to a drop-off facility? If you are using your contracted curbside service, consult your service. Waste Management’s recycling program accepts a variety of plastics, depending on your location. If you are dropping off your plastic recyclables, only No. 1 and No. 2 plastics and plastic grocery bags are taken at the Manson drop-off bins at Red Apple Market, the North Chelan Recycling Center and the Dryden Transfer Station. Hint: Look for the recycle insignia on the bottom of the plastic container, which will indicate what number of plastic the item is made of.
- Please, no caps. Speaking of plastic, please remove the caps from any plastic beverage bottles before leaving them at a drop-off recycling location. The caps and the serrated rings left behind when you break open your favorite beverages are not recyclable at the drop-off locations.
- Brown, green and clear. When it comes to glass, once again ask yourself how you are disposing of your recyclable. Curbside or drop-off? Curbside contractor Waste Management takes only clear glass, while the Dryden Transfer Station does not take any glass. However, the Manson and Chelan drop-off locations take brown, green and clear glass. And, remember, they don’t play nice together. So please separate the glass.
- Smoosh and stomp. While it’s tempting to just toss that cardboard box into the bin, please take the time to flatten or break it down. Full boxes take up valuable space; as a result, bins are filled prematurely. That means boxes then get piled up outside of the bin, creating a mess (aka garbage) and more work for employees managing the recycling program.
- Everything INCLUDING the kitchen sink. And, lastly, please don’t leave your garbage at the drop-off recycling locations. That includes household items that you think someone else would want. We’re talking children’s car seats, plant pots, furniture, baby toys and various other items that would be better put to use at a local second-hand or thrift store. Leaving the items at the recycling bins means they are going to be thrown away, which then jeopardizes the drop-off programs because of added costs.
For all of your recycling drop-off options in Chelan County, take a look on our website at the Household Recycling guide for curbside and drop-off options county wide.
Still have questions? Give us a call at 508.667-6415 or visit the “How can I get rid of …” section on our website.
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