Douglas County Composting to Recycling Options
From composting to recycling options, County residents now have access to a new
Recycle/Reuse Resource Guide containing an A-to-Z list of recycling locations accepting everything from automobile tires and printer cartridges to athletic shoes.
The Resource Guide is not all inclusive and is subject to change as listed options may be added or eliminated. As a result, it is recommended that the company/organization providing services be contacted prior to any planned delivery of items for recycling or prior to responding to any Guide listing.
Single Stream Recycling
Single stream recycling is the process in which materials are collected and mixed together with no sorting required by individual recyclers. So cans and bottles can be recycled together with newspaper, cardboard, etc. In a commingled or single stream system, all recyclables for collection are mixed but kept separate from other waste. This does require public education on what materials are recyclable.
Single Stream Recycling PosterItems okay for single stream recycling, Highlands Ranch:
- Flattened cardboard
- Office paper
- Magazines
- Junk mail (better yet, you can opt out of receiving*)
- Phone books (better yet, you can opt out of receiving*)
- Paperboard
- Brown paper bags
- Newspapers
- Plastic containers #1-7
- Glass bottles and jars
- Aluminum cans, foil, and pie tins
- Steel and empty aerosol cans
Items not okay for single stream recycling, Highlands Ranch:
- Food waste
- Plastic bags
- Paper towel and tissues
Communities with single steam recycling site advantages such as:
- Increased participation by residents. Recycling is perceived as being easier if people do not have to think about sorting before they recycle.
- Increased amount of recyclables collected, often initially doubling previous rates although often eventually settling down to a 20-30 percent increase,
- Higher rates of diversion from landfills,
- Reduced collection costs.
Properly and safely dispose of old electronic components that contain materials that are very harmful to our environment. Get rid of all that old computer clutter and do your part for a clean, safe environment! The HRCA hosts annual computer recycling events, each year.
The Big Five most common curbside recycled materials :
Aluminum Cans
The aluminum can is the most valuable beverage container to recycle and it is the most recycled consumer product in the U.S. today. Recycling aluminum cans provides environmental, economic and community benefits to communities and organizations across the country.
Glass Bottles
Glass is one of the most popular materials to be recycled today, both because of the purity of the ingredients and the quick turnaround of recycling. Your glass containers actually begin their life as readily-available domestic materials, such as sand, soda ash or limestone. Similar to paper, glass comes in a variety of colors, and this does come into play in the recycling process.
Paper
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), approximately 35 percent of the municipal solid waste stream (MSW) is made up of paper and paperboard products. Paper makes up the largest portion of the municipal waste stream, and also one of the most recovered materials.
Plastic
Plastic recycling affects a range of products, from drink containers to shopping bags to pipes. Plastic is almost always the product of petroleum, a non renewable resource. This makes recycling plastic even more important. Curbside programs often make recycling plastic containers easier than other plastic products. You’ll likely be unable to recycle plastic bags, packaging and Styrofoam at the curb. This material is very recyclable at a qualified center, use Earth 911’s recycling locator to find one.
Steel
Steel is an extremely valuable metal that is present in many of the containers and devices we use on a daily basis. While steel is the dominant material in the cars we drive and the beams of the buildings we work in, for the average person recycling steel will involve the proper disposal of steel cans and scrap metal. Steel is the most recycled material in North America, and it can be recycled infinitely and turned into new steel products.
Facts from Earth911.org.