Wish-cycling - Ever Hear of It??

It’s when you put something in your cart that’s not recyclable, like a plastic bag, and hope it will get recycled.  But doing that does more harm than good.  These materials can get stuck in or damage sorting equipment, and they can lower the value of other recyclables collected. This summer a waste sort was completed to look at the recyclables collected in Vadnais Heights.  There were some interesting things found!

Lots of plastic bags, garden hoses, Styrofoam with motor oil on it, small appliances, a suitcase, metal and plastic hangers, PVC pipe for a sink, carpet, diapers, disposable gloves, a razor, dryer lint sheets, wrapping paper, Mineral spirits (HHW), a biohazard bag, black plastic, paper plates, planting pots, food covered trays, newspapers and magazines in plastic bags, eyeglasses, paper plates, tissue paper and tissue and paper towels. Furnace filters, a ceramic cup, power cord, crock pot, a sandal, door handle, disc player, and CD’s…  all garbage!!!! (some could go to the organics compost site, some to hazardous household waste site...)

Do you know people and machines try to sort your recyclables but it is hard for them when things come to the recycling facility that can’t be recycled?  So stick to the recyclables listed below:

Food containers (metal, plastic and glass): cans, bottles, jars, tubs and clam shells

Food Boxes from pantry, cupboard and refrigerator (not freezer), and pizza delivery boxes (no grease)

Food Cartons: milk, juice and soup cartons, etc.

Paper: mail, cards, newspapers, magazines, catalogs, phonebooks, packaging, school papers, office papers, shredded paper (in closed paper bag, labeled), and toilet and paper towel tubes

Boxes: cardboard boxes, shoe boxes, packaging, and tissue boxes

Other Containers: soap, detergent, shampoo bottles etc.

Bring plastic shopping bags to a recycling drop-off site.  For a list of participating retailers near you, go to PlasticFilmRecycling.org.

Bring non-recyclable paper (food-stained boxes, freezer boxes, tissues, paper towels, etc.) and food scraps, to an organics recycling drop-off site.  Find locations and hours at RamseyRecycles.com (click on Organic Waste).

If you have recycling questions, call 651-633-EASY (3279) answered 24/7 or go to RamseyRecycles.com (click on A to Z Recycling and Disposal Guide, top right to search for an item).

And don’t bag your recyclables, place loose in your container.  No one rips open your bag because it is too dangerous. If you bag your recycling it goes in the trash when it gets to the recycling facility.

Thanks for helping make sure your recyclables, get recycled!