The corrugated cardboard can be placed next to your recycle bin. The heavy waxed cardboard containers that milk or orange juice comes in cannot be recycled. Soiled paper plates and paper towels cannot be recycled but they can go into your compost pile. Any paper that has food residue on it cannot be recycled but can be composted. It is best to keep the paper dry so many people separate the paper items from the rest of the recycle material and place the paper into a plastic bag or a cardboard box or the like or just do not put the paper to the curb with the rest of the recycle material when it is raining. It was stated at the County Recycle Center that there is very little problem with paper getting wet in the Waste Pro truck.  The only time that there is a small problem is when it is raining on pick up day.

GLASS

Any color of glass can be recycled.

Beverage containers do not need to be rinsed but it would be best to pour out the small amount of liquid that accumulates in the bottom of the container before you put it in the recycle bin but that is not required.
Glass containers with food residue, like mayonnaise or spaghetti sauce jars do need to be rinsed. Just put a little water, such as your dirty dishwater, in the jar, put the lid back on shake, repeat the process and you are done. Recycle it.

ALUMINUM
Soda and beer cans, clean foil, pie plates, etc.

Rinsing the beverage containers is not necessary. Once again, please, no heavy food residue on the aluminum. Household recycled material, from the time that you put it in your bin until the time that it gets sorted can take up to ten days so you can understand why it is important not to have food waste on any recycled material.

METAL
All tin cans like soup, fruit, vegetable, juice, or pet food cans.

If there is food residue please give a quick rinse, then into the recycle bin it goes.

PLASTIC

There has been a change regarding plastics. Currently, Levy County has a market for only plastics marked #1 or #2 in the triangle on the bottom of the container. But when asked about this new policy, Mr. McElroy, Assistant Director of Levy County Solid Waste stated that he would rather have people put plastic into the recycle bin even if they are not sure if it is #1 or #2. The numbers are really small and hard to see and he understands that. He explained that inmates sort through all of the recycle material that they receive, so if the plastic items do not have the correct number that is all right. It will all get sorted correctly. So when in doubt, put ALL hard plastic into the recycle bin.
Once again please remove any heavy food residue before recycling any plastic container.

There are some plastics that are not recyclable, repeat not recyclable and they are styrofoam of any shape, any soft plastic like bread bags, zip lock bags, shrink wrap and the like. Plastic grocery bags can be recycled at Publix Grocery Stores, Walmart and the Cedar Key Library or better yet use reusable cloth grocery bags.  Publix also accepts paper bags and Styrofoam produce trays and egg cartons .

Developing and implementing your own recycle program that works best for your household is the key to success. The more convenient the placement of recycle bins, the easier it is for you to recycle and the more you will recycle. Please note that any container can be used for your curbside recycling no matter if it is an old trash can, clear or translucent bags or the green bins Waste Pro provided.. According to where you live, green recycle bins, recycle stickers to clearly label your own curbside recycling container and informational handouts on recycling may be available at City Hall.

 Copyright by Tom Deverin, January 2015