WM encourages recycling

As the weather warms Southwest Iowa, residents are beginning their annual spring cleaning journeys. For many, this means many bags of donations, trash and recycling. However, what items should be moved from the recycling bin to the trash can? Why recycle at all?

Creston’s residential trash and recycling is collected by Waste Management, a nationwide waste services company commonly referred to as WM. Creston has been working with WM since 1999.

“One of WM’s key goals is to make sure that communities are thriving,” Creston’s WM representative Ammon Taylor said. “I work with cities such as Creston to make sure that their environmental service needs are taken care of, such as putting in place sustainable solid waste services, automated collection or recycling education to help increase participation or to decrease contamination. Just making sure that, from a sustainability perspective, we’re helping the community thrive long term.”

WM provides a list of three rules to follow when recycling. One: recycle bottles, cans, paper and cardboard. Two: keep food and liquid out of your recycling. Three: no loose plastic bags and no bagged recyclables.

While much of this is common sense to those who actively recycle, there are plenty of questions or situations these three rules don’t cover. For example, cardboard boxes found in the frozen food section are usually coated in a plastic, meaning they can’t be recycled. Most paper coffee cups have the same plastic material.

Another common item whose recyclability is questioned is pizza boxes. While this varies by company, WM will accept cardboard pizza delivery boxes as long as all leftovers, liners and food waste are removed first.

Some items might have the recycling symbol on it. However, that doesn’t mean it’s easily recycled. For curbside recycling, only items with numbers one, two or five near the symbol are widely accepted.

While special locations might accept extra recyclables, WM asks that these items are not left in residential curbside bins: tangling items such as rope or hoses, household items such as textiles or furniture, medical waste and garage waste such as car parts or scrap metal.

Taylor said while there can be a lot of mistrust regarding what is actually done with recycling, WM works hard to continue sustainable practices.

“WM considers recycling a very important investment. There’s a lot of misunderstanding as to whether recycling actually gets recycled, and WM is committed to make sure that it does and in fact, invests hundreds of millions of dollars to make sure that it does,” Taylor said. “It has a huge impact on the sustainability of a solid waste program for municipalities, has an impact on the rising generation, part of the legacy we leave behind for tomorrow, for the next generation.”

Once a WM truck picks up a community’s recycling, the material is brought to either a transfer station or straight to a recycling facility. These materials are then sorted by type of recyclable, bundled up and sent to various manufacturers to be turned into new products. WM explains how each material is broken down.

“Paper and cardboard are mixed with water and additives to form a slurry, which can then be pressed into new sheets of paper or molded into new paper packaging products,” a WM video explains. “Plastics are melted down and reformed into pellets or fibers, which can be used to build new plastic bottles or containers, as well as textiles and car parts. Metals like aluminum are melted and cast into new forms, such as beverage cans, electronics and construction materials.”

Taylor assures residents that their recycling makes a difference.

“Recycling actually works and they’re making a difference,” Taylor said. “WM is privileged to be their community partner and their sustainability partner in making sure that materials are repurposed, energy is renewable and that the community of Creston is thriving.”

Residential recycling in Creston is picked up every other Friday. Which Friday depends on when trash is picked up. If your trash is collected on Monday or Wednesday, you are in the Green Week. If your trash is collected on Tuesday or Thursday, you are in the Gold Week. In March, Green Weeks are the first and third Fridays, while Gold Weeks are the second and fourth Fridays. A calendar for the year can be found at www.crestoniowa.gov/2218/Garbage-Recycling.