We all should recognize the importance and impact of recycling, which has contributed greatly to our state, local, and national prosperity, as well as the important protection of our shared environment. The EPA reports that the national recycling rate has increased from less than seven percent in 1960 to roughly 32 percent today. The EPA […]
DES MOINES, Iowa — Around 130 Des Moines residents have lost their recycling privileges within the last year. Local waste disposal companies say that people may need a refresher on what is able to be recycled. Cassie Riley, the Community Relations Manager at Metro Waste Facility said that people need to make sure they are […]
This month we have been sharing some fun ideas on reusing single-use items like plastic bottles. We’ll cover cardboard, too, beginning next week. Reuse is a sustainability strategy. It means taking products that would otherwise be discarded and using them again in their current form, or with some creative changes. Before tossing it, think outside […]
The 3 Rs: Reuse, Reduce, Recycle. These are the three strategies for sustainability. And sustainability is what we owe our planet and ourselves. That’s why this month we will be focusing on reuse in our series we call, “Think Outside the Cart.” Simply stated, the difference between reuse and recycling is that recycling allows the […]
Those green recycling carts with the yellow tops are easy to spot in front of houses along your street. The truck goes down your street on your scheduled pick-up day and stops at every house with a recycling cart at the curb. Everyone is joining in to help protect the public health and safety and […]
Plastic bottles and jugs go in your curbside recycling cart. You knew that. Right? And you also knew that before you put them in your cart, they should be empty. Good job! But just because an item is made of plastic doesn’t mean it is recyclable. No big storage containers. No plastic swing seats. No […]
As schools reopen, it’s important to understand that being vaccinated can protect you and school children under 12. And it can help stop the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19. So, get vaccinated and have your children 12 and over get vaccinated, too. It’s in the interest of personal and public health. Also protecting […]
This month we will continue our series on “WHAT GOES IN THE CART?” This is truly news you can use because what goes in your curbside recycling cart is as important as what should be left out. Why? Because putting items in the cart that don’t belong there can disrupt the whole recycling process. And […]
This month we’ll be talking more about what goes in your curbside recycling cart, and what doesn’t. This is important because for recycling to work in our community, and we want it to work, residential consumers need to know the do’s and don’ts. Without your know-how, an effective recycling program will suffer. The first thing […]
Part of the Regional Recycling District’s mission is to reduce and reuse – in addition to recycling. That’s what the Environmental Protection Agency and our state and local environmental agencies also encourage. From our friends at the EPA, here are some simple basics on reduce and reuse: Buy used. You can find everything from clothes […]