Reduce, reuse, recycle (correctly)
Not all plastics are created equal. When it comes to recycling, there are several common plastics and other household products that Trussville residents can’t put in their recycling bins.
Through the city of Trussville, Santek Waste Services provides weekly recycling to roughly 8,800 households, General Manager Sam Dillender said. A total of 1,015 tons of recyclable materials were brought from Trussville to the Birmingham Recycling and Recovery center in 2017 to be processed for reuse, according to BRR data.
But recycling is a bit more complicated than simply tossing paper and plastic into the blue bin for weekly pickup. Santek and BRR said many residents unwittingly contaminate their recycling load by tossing in unrecyclable items or materials that aren’t properly cleaned. This drives up costs and reduces the amount of recycled goods that can find a second life.
Dillender said BRR charges Santek $30 per ton for uncontaminated recyclables, but the charge for a contaminated load is $75 per ton. If a load is deemed 100 percent contaminated, the price increases to $100 per ton, Dillender said.
“Given the costs that are associated with contamination, it drives the delivery price or the disposal price of that material up,” he said.
BRR Sales Manager Leigh Shaffer said that, on average, residential recycling loads average a 20 to 40 percent contamination rate when they arrive at the center. Dillender said Trussville is typically on the lower end, at about 10 percent average contamination.
This includes everything from glass and types of plastics their machines can’t process to items such as plastic bags and garden hoses that can damage equipment. There are also items that can be recycled, Shaffer said, but are covered in food waste and can’t be processed.
Anything contaminated or ineligible winds up in a landfill.
“Pretty much every load has some sort of contamination in it,” Shaffer said.
Part of the issue, Dillender said, is many residents aren’t aware of proper recycling habits or that the list of eligible items for recycling changes based on the market to resell those materials. Glass and #3-7 plastic, for instance, were accepted for recycling at one time but are not now.
“It’s common sense, however many folks seem clueless and just put any piece of plastic in the bins and or items that aren’t cleaned, which contaminate everything, as well as items that do not belong,” said Trussville resident Bradley Jones.
The BRR is working with several recycling providers and municipalities, including Santek, to educate residents on accepted recyclables and making sure everything that goes into their bins is “empty, clean and dry” to reduce contamination.
Dillender said Santek has worked with BRR to produce postcards with more detailed information, which will be sent to Trussville homes in May or June. City Clerk Lynn Porter said the city has also created new brochures with recycling and hazardous waste disposal information in the last six months, which are available at City Hall and on the city website.
The following items can be put in residential recycling bins to be picked up by Santek: #1 and #2 plastic containers (including water and soda bottles, milk jugs, detergent and shampoo bottles), junk mail, magazines, cardboard (flattened), office paper, newspaper and aluminum, steel or tin cans.
After the materials are sorted and baled, they are sent to a mill to be made into new products.
Common items that cannot be recycled through Santek’s residential program include plastic grocery bags, plastics #3-7, Styrofoam, phone books, glass, electronics, scrap metal and household garbage.
Residents looking to expand their recycling efforts beyond the city’s programs have a few options. Grocery stores in the area will often recycle grocery bags, while some automotive stores and mechanics will safely dispose of oil and other vehicle fluids.
Those who don’t have city pickup or need more frequent pickup can take their recycling to the BRR’s community bin, located at 9 41st Street South. There is also the Alabama Environmental Council, located just a few blocks away from the BRR at 4330 1st Avenue South.
Shaffer said the AEC takes all of the same materials as the BRR, with the addition of small engines, empty propane tanks, corks, steel/mixed metal, copper, brass, steel cans, PUR/Brita water filter products, electronics (including computers, televisions and cell phones), ink/toner cartridges, wood, batteries (rechargeable, single use and auto), appliances, textiles, cigarette waste and #6 rigid plastic cups.
The AEC has temporarily paused accepting glass, Shaffer said.
Find more information on Trussville’s recycling services at trussville.org/residents/garbage-pickup. Learn more about reducing contamination and other recycling locations at alabamarecycling.org/aeconline/recycling.
Materials accepted
*Accepted by Birmingham Recycling and Recovery
‡Accepted by Alabama Environmental Council
► Junk Mail*‡
► Magazines*‡
► Cardboard*‡
► Newspaper*‡
► Paper*‡
► DetergentBottles*‡
► ShampooBottles*‡
► Milk Jugs*‡
► Paper Egg Cartons (not Styrofoam)*‡
► Water Bottles*‡
► Aluminum Cans*‡
► Paper Board*‡
► Soup Cans*‡
► Small engines‡
► Empty propane tanks‡
► Corks‡
► Steel/mixed metal‡
► Copper‡
► Brass‡
► Steel cans‡
► PUR/Brita water filter products‡
► Electronics (including computers, televisions and cell phones)‡
► Ink/toner cartridges‡
► Wood‡
► Batteries (rechargeable, single use and auto)‡
► Appliances‡
► Textiles‡
► Cigarettewaste ‡
►#6 rigid plastic cups‡
Birmingham Recycling and Recovery, located a 9 41st St. S., is open to the public 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Alabama Environmental Council, located at 4330 First Ave. S., is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.