CONSERVATION CORNER

TO RECYCLE OR NOT TO RECYCLE? THAT IS THE QUESTION!

by Kathrine Blomquist

Did you hear the good news earlier this year? The City of Mesa is accepting more items to be recycled in our blue bins! Now, that doesn’t mean you can put anything that isn’t trash in there and roll the bin to the curb. Just the other day I was with a friend who wanted to place an old Sterilite plastic storage tote in a recycling bin. While I appreciate the effort to recycle, just because something is plastic doesn’t mean it can go in a blue bin. Let’s do a quick review on a few common materials, paper and plastic, and see what is and is not acceptable in the City of Mesa’s residential program:

Paper

YES: Mail, newspaper, copy paper, clean and flat cardboard, empty cereal boxes, soda boxes, tissue boxes, paperboard packaging

NO: Tissue paper, tissues, ribbon, paper towels, napkins, wrapping paper

TIP: This holiday season, reuse your gift bags (really, no one will know). Or how about wrapping gifts in paper grocery bags that you or the kids/grandkids decorate. You can even use wrap with old maps for another type of creative flair.

Plastic

YES: Any plastic that is marked #1, #2, and #5, including water bottles, milk jugs, detergent jugs, berry containers, condiment bottles

NO: Any plastic without numbers, plastic bags, plastic wrap, plastic straws, plastic utensils

TIP: Reusable straws, food wraps and grocery bags make great gifts!

Check out the flier (right) for the full list of Mesa’s accepted items. Here’s another tip: Print the list and attach to your fridge, cabinet door, recycling container, anywhere that’s easy for you to reference quickly. Or, of course, save the paper and take a screenshot. Contaminated bins mean more labor costs for the city. Let’s work together to keep our blue bins 100% compliant.

Bonus Tip: The City of Mesa has in-home recycling containers available to residential solid waste customers at no charge. It’s a 28-qt. container that fits under the kitchen sink or in a cabinet. Stop by the Solid Waste Management Department, 730 N. Mesa Drive, MondayThursday 7:00 am-6:00 pm to get yours (limit one per household).

Happy Holidays:

Relax, Recycle, and Repeat!