This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
RECYCLING 101: What goes in your curbside bin
Recycling can be tricky — how do you know if an item belongs in the recycle bin? Here are some tips for using your curbside
recycling bin in Longmont. Watch the Sorting 101 video for more do’s and don’ts.
As Longmont moves towards becoming a Zero Waste community, it is important to know what goes in your recycle and landfill (trash) bins. A material is recyclable only if it can be sold to a manufacturer and turned into something new. The numbers and symbol are for manufacturers; they are not a good way to tell if something can go into the recycle bin.
View the new Boulder County Recycling Guide to see all the things that can (and cannot) be recycled
Top 3 No-no's in Recycling
Plastic Bags
Plastic bags are the biggest problem for the Boulder County recycling center. Bags get stuck in the machines and cause the whole system to break down! Please don’t put your recyclables in plastic bags when you send them to the curb.
Want to recycle your plastic bags? You can take them to the Waste Diversion Center (WDC) or to some local grocery stores. The WDC accepts plastic bags marked with a #2 or #4 only (which primarily includes grocery bags, dry cleaning bags, and newspaper bags). They MUST be clean, dry and empty.
Cups
It comes as a surprise to many, but most cups are not recyclable at the Boulder County recycling facility. Coffee cups are paper lined
with plastic, so they don’t break down like other paper does when recycled, and other cups are not recyclable because stable markets do not exist here for these materials.
To-go Boxes
Many to-go boxes are paper lined in plastic and therefore should not go in your recycle bin. Some are wax lined and can be composted — check for “BPI Certified Compostable” letting you know that is the case, usually located on the bottom of the container. When in doubt, throw it out!
For more information, including resources on where to take hard to recycle materials, visit LongmontColorado.gov/solidwaste.
This is a news release from the City of Longmont and is published by the Longmont Observer as a public service.
