Keep Items Loose in Your Recycling Container!
Don’t place recyclables inside plastic bags - keep them loose! Plastic bags cause damage to our sorting equipment and interrupts the recycling process, so for preventative measures - plastic bags aren’t accepted in our recycling program. If you need to recycle plastic bags, you can take them back to many local grocery and retail stores.
Avoid “Tanglers”
Items that can tangle or wrap around equipment should not be recycled. These items include:
- Clothing
- Bed sheets
- Garden hoses
- Chains
- Ropes
- Dog leashes
- Christmas lights
- Plastic bags
Again, please do not place these items in your recycling! These “tanglers” wrap around the automated sorting equipment and cause damage.
Look at Our List, Not the Label
Virtually everything has a recycling symbol; however, that doesn’t mean an item can be recycled everywhere. An item’s recyclability is determined by many factors. Check out our complete list of acceptable recyclable items.
Examine the Shape of Plastic Containers, Not the Numbers
Currently, Rumpke can only accept plastic bottles and jugs, which are containers that have a top smaller than the bottom and often have a screw on lid.
Cans CAN Be Recycled
When it comes to metal and aluminum, only put the cans in your recycling container. While other types of metal can be recycled, you should take those non-can items directly to a specialized metal recycler.
When in Doubt – Ask Us!
Contact us or send us your recycling questions via Facebook, Twitter, email or phone. We’re here to help!
Even expert recyclers have questions about recycling the right way. Rumpke, your recycling leader, wants to help.
It’s important to only recycle items accepted in Rumpke’s program. Putting the wrong material into your recycling bin can cause big problems. Some items damage machines at the processing center, while others such as batteries pose hazards to employees or even prevent us from recycling other material.
Rumpke wants to make sure your recycling efforts count. In other words, we want to make sure your time and efforts ensure the intended result: positive environmental benefits for generations to come.
