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Department of Streets Refuse Division Recycling Program |
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Department of Streets Refuse Division Recycling Program |
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| Apparel & Accessories | Arts & Crafts | Building & Construction | Children | Flooring | General | Gifts | Health & Beauty |
| Home & Garden | Office Supplies & Paper Products | Outdoor Recreation | Pet Supplies | Promotional Products | Recycling Bins | Special Occasions |
Reusing and recycling provide many environmental benefits. But to fully realize their potential, there must be strong consumer demand for products made from reused and/or recycled materials. Buying products made from reused and/or recycled material means there will always be a market outlet for the materials you put in the recycling bin.
Check the labels when you shop and choose products that have recycled content. Look for this symbol and the highest percentage of post-consumer recycled content you can find. Post-consumer is the material that has been used by the consumer, collected in a recycling program, and made into new products. Some products may contain only "pre-consumer" waste, which includes cuttings, trimmings, overruns, and other waste from the manufacturing process. The symbol itself doesn't necessarily mean that the product has any recycled content. Read the label!
As consumers, our first priority is to reduce waste. Packaging not only creates excess waste, it also requires use of more natural resources to make the product in the first place. When shopping, buy in bulk. Avoid over-packaged goods. Choose items in packaging that is recyclable through local drop-off and curbside recycling programs. Carry reuseable tote bags. Opt for no bag when making small purchases. These suggestions can keep those mountains of plastic bags from piling up.
A good thing to remember is that due to long histories of recycling the materials, most aluminum, glass, and steel purchased by consumers contains post-consumer recycled content. Glass, aluminum, and steel are easy to identify and are 100% recyclable. These materials can be infinitely recycled and processed into new goods. Choosing these materials over others helps keep these recycling industries strong.
Plastic is more difficult to recycle and often lacks end markets; for this reason many programs only accept limited types of plastic. Purchase items sold in plastic #'s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7 to ensure that they can be tossed into the recycling bin. Plastic #6 is not readily recyclable in our area due to lack of end markets. Before you buy, check the number inside the triangular symbol located on the bottom of plastic containers. Even better, try to find packaging which includes post-consumer content.
| PLASTIC BOTTLES & JUGS
Some household cleaners, dishwashing liquids, etc. can be found in plastic bottles with 25% or more post-consumer recycled content. |
BATH & FACIAL TISSUE
Tissue paper made from recycled paper meets consumer expectations and is priced competitively. |
| PAPER TOWELS
Paper towels with recycled content are competitive in price and performance. Please remember you can do the same job with a sponge or rag. |
COPY PAPER & STATIONARY
Top quality recycled paper, envelopes, and greeting cards are now easier to find. Check the label for post-consumer recycled content. Remember to ask for recycled paper when printing or copying. |
| PAPERBOARD BOXES
Look for recycled content information on cereal boxes, cracker boxes, etc. |
OTHER PRODUCTS
Many more products are made from recycled materials such as re-refined motor oil, fiberfill for sleeping bags, carpet, building insulation, garbage bags, recycled plastic lumber, etc. |
Buy Reused and Recycled Products!
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This Page Last Modified: Thursday, 07-Feb-2008 08:11:10 CST
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