Clallam County Waste Prevention Program staff will be on hand on March 12th at the Regional Transfer Station from 10am-12pm and Blue Mountain Transfer Station from 1pm-3pm to assist the public in understanding what and how to recycle. Learn what is accepted in transfer station recycling drop boxes and curbside collection bins. When you “Recycle Right”, putting items loose (not bagged) in the right bin and making sure they are empty, clean and dry, you can help ensure materials are truly recycled.
Both Transfer Stations offer drop boxes for the following materials: corrugated cardboard, mixed paper (such as cereal boxes and newspaper), plastic and metal containers (bottles, cans, jugs and tubs only) and glass. These materials are collected and transported to other facilities that bale or crush the materials for further use as “raw” materials. Incorrect recycling becomes garbage, and can contaminate other materials in a load. This problem impacts the overall cost of this service or could result in reductions in recycling service availability. Plastic bags are the biggest problem; recycling participants should put recycling into bins loosely and take bags home with them for disposal.
Local mills on the Olympic Peninsula depend on these recycled waste streams for feedstock such as corrugated cardboard for production. However, not all materials have value when placed in the blue bin or drop boxes. Items like plastic bags or bubble wrap can be recycled at special collection sites, but when in doubt about an item, find out more or throw it in the trash to keep recycling streams valuable for regional producers and available in Clallam County.
For information contact: Meggan Uecker, Utility Program Manager, muecker@co.clallam.wa.us 360-417-2441
or visit: http://www.clallam.net/hhs/EnvironmentalHealth/solidwaste_recycling.html