Plastic bags. Plastic case overwrap. Plastic items in general? Why are plastic items such an issue with recycling? Why is plastic recycling so hard? The answer is not as simple as we would like it to be. Plastic bags as well as plastic film have very little value as compared to recycled cardboard. Plastic bags and plastic film, if resold as a commodity, would be worth pennies on the dollar while cardboard is worth hundreds of dollars. The same goes for any other kind of item made of plastic.

Plastic shopping bags, Ziploc bags, plastic mulch bags or soil bags, air pillows, bubble wrap, bread bags, plastic film that covers items such as toilet tissue or even that plastic that covers new couches or chairs you purchased, has no value and therefore are not recyclable. Some of these types of items can be returned to designated stores otherwise they are trash.

As consumers, it is hard for us to get away from these items. Plastic is everywhere. However, there is hope for recyclers on the horizon and it starts with three states: California, Maine and Washington State. These three states have passed legislation that if a plastic item cannot be recycled in their state, then manufacturers cannot place the triangle logo with the chasing arrows and the number inside the logo on their product.

We were able to focus on those logos in the past to help us recycle the correct plastic items. However, because most plastic items are not worth much as a commodity, we don’t have a commodity market for most plastics. There are seven different kinds of plastic but only have limited markets for three types of plastic. The triangle logo with the chasing arrows and the number inside the triangle only tells us what kind of plastic that container is and not that it can be recycled.

As consumers and recyclers, this means that the empty motor oil containers, the empty RV fluid containers, the kiddie pools, Styrofoam, plastic flowerpots, hoses of any kind, toys, wastebaskets, plastic clothes hangers, small appliances, and so forth are all trash.

The Environmental office does offer Styrofoam recycling but residents must bring it to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility. It cannot be placed into curbside carts or community drop sites.

In Lyon County, we can recycle plastic resin codes 1, 2 and 5. The items with these numbers on them must be empty, clean food containers only. It really narrows down how much plastic we can really recycle through our curbside bins or our community recycling bins. We can also add personal care containers with those numbers as well which tend to be shampoo bottles or laundry detergent bottles.

For those of you who may have too small of a recycling cart, we are now carrying 95-gallon recycling containers all year long. We can switch out your cart for free and the cost of your recycling does not change. It is a flat fee of $50 per year regardless of what size your cart may be. We will no longer be able to replace any broken 35-gallon carts and will be carrying 65-gallon or 95-gallon carts only.

For those residents who have concerns about lugging about a larger cart in the winter, remember that you are not obligated to place your cart out each recycling week. If have one or two people in your home, you could very well place your cart out to be emptied in November and then can wait until March to place it out again which means you can skip most of the winter months.

For more information on recycling or disposing items that you no longer want or need, please give us a call at the Environmental office at (507) 532-1307.