Recycling Daze: What goes where?

Sometimes the very word recycling can cause residents to glaze over, because some may assume the recyclable item will ultimately end up in the correct pile, even if disposed of at home incorrectly. The bottom line is, if the recycled item isn’t in the right place, it costs all taxpayers more money to properly handle the item.

In Orange County, our most often found items in the blue recycling roll carts/bins, that shouldn’t be present, are:

• Store plastic bags
• Plastic film used to package any item
• Clothing and shoes

None of the above items are recyclable in our blue roll carts. The county knows what exactly to recycle and where, can be confusing, so we have a fun, interactive game on our website to take the guesswork out of the process. It’s called the Sorting Game and can be found here:

https://orangecountyfl.recycle.game/ 

What they say in our Solid Waste Department about an item is, if you are in doubt, leave it out. Another slogan we have is, Think 5.  Plastic bottles, jugs, and tubs labelled #1 through #5 , metal cans (tin, steel, and aluminum), glass bottles and jars (remove lids or caps), flattened cardboard boxes, and paper (includes junk mail and paperboard like shoe boxes or cereal boxes) are all good to go into the blue bins. This doesn’t mean a pizza box from last night’s takeout can go in the bin. Those boxes are not acceptable.

Plastics seem to pose the biggest challenge, so look at this website to find out exactly how to dispose of used plastics safely:

https://www.plasticfilmrecycling.org/recycling-bags-and-wraps/plastic-film-education-individuals/learn-whats-recyclable/ 

Lastly, please make sure the recycled items are clean and dry.