Solid waste official says more people tend to recycle in warmer months

By Kathryn Varney, Correspondent

The early arrival of spring this year finds Eastern Iowans getting a jump on ridding themselves of the excess papers, bottles, cans and plastics that accumulated over the winter and brings friendly reminders about proper recycling practices.

While being green is a year-round activity for many, there are also fair-weather recyclers, said Larry Livingston, solid waste and recycle supervisor for the city of Cedar Rapids.

“Obviously, people tend to recycle more in the spring and warmer weather months,” Livingston said.

“It's about constant education and reminders to the public,” Livingston said.

The first rule of thumb is “know the rules.”

Keep recyclables separate from garbage and yard waste. Garbage goes to landfills and yard waste goes to mulching and composting facilities.

Tree limbs and brush are chipped and used for landscaping material, and organic material, such as leaves, plant and grass clipping are used with other food waste to make compost for soil additives, according to the Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency.

The agency also gives compost free to residents.

Cities provide separate containers for recyclable materials - in Cedar Rapids it's the large blue “Curby” cart, and Iowa City gives residents smaller blue bins.

In Cedar Rapids, repeat offenders who put non-recyclables like Styrofoam, plastic bags or wire hangers in the bins will lose their recycling privileges.

“We have a “three strikes you're out policy,” Livingston said. There are many recycling programs in the area to take care of those kinds of materials, he added.

Another reminder is to remember the workers at the other end of the recycling stream.

“Vigilance and safety are what the public needs to keep in mind when recycling,” said Alan Schumacher, facility manager at City Carton, 901 Ingleside SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa's largest paper recycling company and one of the largest full-service recycling companies in the Midwest.

Schumacher said the public shouldn't throw plastic bags or wire hangers in the recycle bin. He wants to keep his employees safe, and his recycling machines humming along without “gumming up” problems.

“Plastic bags are the worst,” he said.

“They get wrapped up in the machines and we have to stop and manually cut them off. It's a hazard to employees and it's lost time for us having to stop and restart the machine.”

Wire hangers also can get tangled in the equipment. “Those can be taken back to most local dry cleaners, Schumacher said.

Another danger is glass bottles and jars.

“There are people on the other end handling these materials. ... We just can't be safe enough when it comes to handling broken glass, or items such as hypodermic needles,” Schumacher said. “Just think about what you are dropping off.”

Cedar Rapids residents are allowed to set out glass items, but they should be clean and set in separate boxes for recycling and not tossed in the recycling receptacle.

“They can break, and it makes it difficult for the city to sort, and it's a safety issue if there's broken glass,” Livingston said.

Iowa City does not take glass curbside, but the city has made changes to its recycling program since last April to make it easier for the homeowner, according to Jennifer Jordan, recycling coordinator for the Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center.

Homeowners can now create two “streams of waste” - one for paper and fiber, and one for plastic bottles and aluminum and metal cans. They can be placed together inside the bin with the fiber and paper on the bottom, and cans and plastics on top.

“You no longer have to presort the items into six categories,” Jordan said. “This is the biggest change.”

As for the glass, Jordan pointed to City Carton Recycling on 3 E. Benton St., the East Side Recycling Center at 2401 Scott Blvd., and the landfill at 3900 Hebl Ave. SW, as places to take jars, bottles and other glass products.

For the most part, people are good about their recycling - and Jordan, Livingston and Schumacher encourage people who don't recycle now to get started.

“People are paying for it, the trucks are already going by - they might as well take advantage of it.” Jordan said. For yard waste in Iowa City, such as grass, leaves and garden residue, residents should bag the material in Iowa City yard waste bags imprinted with the city logo.

The bags are $1 each and are available at participating Iowa City grocery, hardware and general merchandise stores, and at City Hall, 410 E. Washington St.

Schumacher added that recycling isn't difficult.

“It's a matter of following a routine and getting in the habit of rinsing out cans and bottles and submitting clean materials,” he said.

Recycling in the Corridor

City of Cedar Rapids

Recycling materials in the “Curby” are co-mingled, which means a variety of materials (such as paper, plastics, and metals) can be put in the same container. Residents can recycle as much as they want, as long as they place the recyclable materials in separate cardboard boxes if the “Curby” is full.  http://smgs.us/llt  Call: (319-) 86-5897.

City of Iowa City

A blue recycling container is provided for each single-family residence, and each unit of multiple dwelling of four or fewer. Create two sort piles - one for fiber and paper and another for plastics and metal cans. Stack similar items together, place them in the recycling bin, and take it to the curb for pickup! http://smgs.us/llw. Click on A-Z index and R on the drop-down menu. Call: (319) 887-6160.

City Carton

Takes glass containers, plastic bottles and jugs, metal, aluminum cans, and of course, paper, cardboard, newspapers, magazines, catalogs, office paper. Cedar Rapids: 901 Ingleside Dr.  http://smgs.us/llv. Iowa City: 3 E. Benton St. http://smgs.us/llu, For both, call: (1-800) 369-6112.

Can Shed

Takes any brand of containers that have the Iowa refund sticker on them. Cedar Rapids: 4121 16th Ave. SW, (319) 366-1300. Iowa City: 611 Hollywood Blvd., (319) 887-7055.  http://smgs.us/llx

Recycling facts:

-- Each person creates about 4.7 pounds of waste every day.

-- In the United State, 33.4 percent of solid waste is either recycled or composted, 12.6 percent is burned in combustion facilities and 54 percent makes its way into landfills

-- In 2007 99 percent of lead acid batteries were recycled, 54 percent of paper and paperboard were recycled, 64 percent of yard trimmings were recycled and nearly 35 percent of metals were recycled

-- The amount of recycling in 2007 saved the energy equivalent of 10.7 billion gallons of gasoline and prevented the release of carbon dioxide of about 35 million cars

-- The number of landfills in the United States is decreasing while their size is increasing. In 1998 there were 8,000 landfills but only 1,754 in 2007

-- Each ton of mixed paper that is recycled can save the energy equivalent to 185 gallons of gasoline

-- About 8,660 curbside recycling programs exist in the United States

-- There are about 3,510 community composting programs in the United States

-- Disposal of waste to landfills has decreased from 89 percent in 1980 to 54 percent in 2007

-- Recycling 1 ton of aluminum cans conserves the equivalent of 1,665 gallons of gasoline

-- In 2007 the United States recycled and composted 85 million tons of the 254 million tons of municipal solid waste created

Source: epa.gov

Recycled bag vs. plastic bags:

-- Fourteen 14 plastic bags contain enough petroleum to drive a car a mile.

-- Americans throw away about 380 million plastic bags a year.

-- Paper bags are not biodegradable.

-- Cities spend up to 17 cents per bag in disposal costs.

Source: 1bagatatime.com

Recycling savings

Each ton of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, 4,000 kilowatts of energy, and 7,000 gallons of water. This represents a 64 percent energy savings, a 58 percent water savings, and 60 pounds less of air pollution.

Source: Recycling Revolution.com