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There are lots of new folks moving to the area. I meet them when they come to recycle. They’re eager to know our recycling rules since they usually differ from the way they recycle in Nebraska. These letters attempt to enlighten them.

Presorting your recyclables at home, breaking down boxes and crushing plastic milk jugs helps streamline the work at the trailer. Thus other people are not held up while someone picks through their bag of mixed recyclables. Many of the folks I see have been recycling for the nine-plus years I’ve had the pleasure of their company.

Our pickup locations are at Harmon Field (Mon.), Saluda (Tues.), Green Creek Fire Dept. (Wed.) and Columbus (Thurs.). At all locations, we’re there from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

What we take aside from cardboard and paper are containers that hold food or household products. Plastic containers with the numbers 1-7 in a triangle on the bottom are acceptable. Bottles that have held food or household products are fine. All other plastic like coat hangers, packing, plastic bags, bubble wrap, plastic implements and Styrofoam are not recyclable even if they have a triangle. Glass other than bottles is not recyclable. Examples are drinking glasses, window and mirror glass, ceramics, etc.

The following metal items are not recyclable at the truck: coat hangers, hardware, tin foil or pie pans, gadgets. All metal is recyclable at the landfill. Containers that have held poison, herbicides, pesticides, anti-freeze, gasoline or oil are not recyclable.

Our categories are as follows:

• Aluminum drink cans (no cat food cans)
• Plastic containers and steel cans together
• Glass bottles
• Corrugated cardboard (like Amazon boxes)
• Mixed paper (books, magazines etc. When in doubt if it’s paper or cardboard, call it paper) 

Every ton I haul to the transfer station is unloaded into large trailers which are transferred to various companies that recycle our glass, paper, cardboard, plastic and aluminum cans. Curbie.com in Asheville has a website with an excellent explanation of how they recycle and a chart of the materials they accept. There is also a lot of information about recycling on YouTube.

Thanks for recycling,

            

Dan Dworkin

Mobile Recycling Attendant