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With ever dwindling resources, more people are trying to do their part to reduce waste by practicing the three R’s: reduce, reuse, and recycle. We are fortunate in Salt Lake City to have a giant blue bin that is picked up weekly to help us get our recyclable materials where they need to go. Unfortunately, there are limitations around what exactly can go in there. Some guidelines can be a bit confusing, especially as we’ve seen a few changes to what can be recycled over the past few years. Here are a few guidelines and resources to help you do your part for our community and the planet.
To begin, it is important to note that recycling guidelines may differ from community to community, so something that you could or could not recycle in one area may differ in Salt Lake City. If you are new to Salt Lake or just want to make sure you know what can go in the blue bin, you should give Salt Lake City’s Sustainability and Waste Management website a look. The site provides several resources and guides to help you navigate how to properly dispose of your normal garbage, your green waste, and your recyclable materials, including a printable sign that you can hang over your own recycling bin at home or the office to help everyone be an informed recycler.
Food or other types of residues and oils in any packaging or plastic can contaminate a load of recyclables and may result in them getting thrown away, so try to rinse them out before you put them in the bin. If your old pizza box has a giant oil spot, don’t try to recycle it.
Don’t bag your recycling before you put it in the bin. The facilities that sort the materials aren’t able to rip the bags open, and the bags themselves can clog the sorting equipment.
Check the labels on your containers; while many manufacturers are still using difficult-to-recycle plastics, they’ve gotten better at helping you properly dispose of the waste. Some bottles may indicate that the plastic label should be removed so you can recycle the bottle itself. A plastic bottle with the film label will likely be discarded.
Some areas do not accept plastics numbered 3, 6, or 7 (the number you can find in the center of your packaging’s recycling symbol), but according to Salt Lake City’s website, they still collect these plastics. As a rule of thumb, if it doesn’t have a recycling symbol, don’t try to recycle it.
Though plastic films and plastic bags can’t go in your curbside bin, many grocery stores have a bin where these soft plastics can be dropped off for recycling.
While you can’t put glass in your blue bin, you can take it to one of several community drop-off locations or request your own curbside bin on Salt Lake City’s Waste Management website.
Other materials that can’t be recycled don’t necessarily need to go into the garbage can. Salt Lake also offers guidance on disposing of electronics and appliances, yard waste, and other materials.
The best way to minimize your environmental impact is to produce less waste in the first place. So while making sure that you are recycling is important, reducing the number of disposable materials you use – and reusing what you can – will have a larger impact.
