A Recycling Refresher: Are you recycling everything you can?
Recycling is not a new idea, but many people in our city still don’t do enough of it. According to the Philadelphia Streets Department, 127,700 tons of recyclable materials were collected from residents in 2014, which is great, but we can always do better. The state of our landfills speaks for itself.
Recycling is not a new idea, but many people in our city still don't do enough of it. According to the Philadelphia Streets Department, 127,700 tons of recyclable materials were collected from residents in 2014, which is great, but we can always do better. The state of our landfills speaks for itself.
Does this scenario seem familiar to you? You are cleaning up the kitchen after dinner and there is a bunch of empty containers littering the countertop around the sink. You hesitate though on sorting everything into either the trash or recycling because you can't remember what you can and can't recycle. It's late and you are tired so you just scoop everything in the trash, ignoring those pangs of guilt.
Did you know that paper products that are recyclable make up about 60% of our trash? Having a quick list on your fridge can help you sort your trash and recyclables with more confidence and you might be surprised to learn that you can recycle more than you realized.
Here is a breakdown of what the Philadelphia Streets Department will and will not recycle:
The city does recycle the following:
Plastics (make sure they are emptied and rinsed out)
All food and beverage containers
Hard plastic takeout containers
Plastic cold drink cups and lids
Detergent and shampoo bottles
Pump and spray bottles
Plastic pails, buckets, garden pots
Not all plastic is alike. Here is a fact sheet from the Philadelphia Streets Department that can help you distinguish between them.
Paper
Newspapers and inserts
Magazines, brochures and catalogs
Junk mail, envelopes, writing paper
Scrap paper
Paper bags
Phone books
Paperback books
Greeting cards, gift wrap (non-metallic)
Cartons (emptied and rinsed)
Milk
Juice
Ice Cream
Wine
Soups
Metals (emptied and rinsed)
Aluminum, steel, and tin cans
Empty paint cans
Empty aerosol cans
Metal trays and baking dishes
Jar lids and bottle caps
Clean aluminum foil
Glass (emptied and rinsed)
All bottles and jars
Cardboard (flattened and free of grease and food)
Corrugated cardboard shipping
Clean pizza boxes
Paper towel rolls
Egg cartons
Dry food boxes
The city does not recycle the following:
Plastic Bags
Styrofoam (You can drop off foam products to the Northeast Sanitation Convenience Center at State Rd. and Ashburner St.)
Food Waste
Wet or Food-Soiled Paper
Waxed Paper Plates, Cups, and Takeout Containers
Greasy Pizza Boxes
Tissues, Paper Towels, and Napkins
Light Bulbs
Porcelain and Non-Container Glass
Cassette Tapes (VHS and audio)
Garden Hoses
Needles and Syringes
Electronics
The Streets Department, through a partnership with Recyclebank, offers reward points for recycling which you then can redeem for special discounts and deals. Learn more here.
Are you limited to what the Philadelphia Single Stream Recycling Program will collect? Want to commit to doing more, consider composting food waste, using reusable shopping bags and even finding retail stores that will take back any plastic bags you still have laying around. For more hazardous household items like lightbulbs, plan on attending the Household Hazardous Waste Event on Saturday, November 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Street Department Northeast Facility at 3901 Delaware Avenue between Castor Ave. and Lewis.
This fall make a commitment to recycling as much as you can. The benefits reaped will last longer than your lifetime.
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