News : Recycling: What to do and not do

The first thing to know about recycling is that each county contracts their own recycler. Also, each recycler has a separate list of abilities for their recycling equipment that they have invested heavily to maintain. So what maybe a recyclable good in Polk County (glass for instance), is not a recyclable good in Benton County.

Recently, Benton County has updated their Recycling Drop-off program to one (single-stream) container. Rural residents will no longer sort materials into barrels. Now, all recyclable materials except glass and garbage are deposited in a large brown (Single stream) containers. Single-stream containers mean the processor, not the public citizen’s sort recycling materials via conveyor. These containers hold more, look better, keep locations cleaner, and cost less less to transport materials.

So what is the issue? Increased contamination! Again you may ask “what is increased contamination?” That would be placing glass or garbage in your recycling bins, when the contracted agency only has the ability to process specific (cardboard, paper, or plastic) items. Recycling is, and will always be, about sorting materials into groups for the betterment of our environment. If an item does not fit into one of these groups, it’s simply garbage.

Examples of garbage that cause the recycling conveyors to breakdown and thus increase the cost of the recycling programs to the citizens of Benton County:

Ropes, cords, chains, cables, ribbons, Christmas lights, film plastics, plastic bags, metal or plastic pipes, and vinyl siding are considered contamination and are not accepted in the Benton County Recycling Drop-off program.

However, as we all know: Metal pipes and plastic bags can be recycled, but NOT at drop-off locations. Pipes and chains are recycled as scrap metal at the landfill. Plastic bags are recycled at your local grocer.

We thank you for your commitment to recycling. Please remember that we recycle to extend the life of our limited natural resources, reduce energy consumption, provide local jobs, and reduce the burden on our local landfill.

Please help us Do It Right Benton County! Review what is acceptable in our drop-off program. Informational brochures are also provided at each drop-off location. If you have additional questions call the ECICOG office at 319-365-9941 ext. 126.

Matthew Purdy – Executive Director of Benton County Conservation