Sarah Finnegan
Plastic grocery bags are among many of the non-recyclable items that find their way into the bins on Homewood residents.
Before you throw something in your blue recycling bin, be sure that it is actually on the list of approved recyclable items.
Homewood residents receive recycling pickup through the city's contract with Republic Services, which recycles certain types of paper, cardboard, plastic and metal. However, Ward 1 City Council Representative Britt Thames said 30 percent or more of the waste put in the recycling bins are not among the types that Republic Services can recycle.
The issue was briefly discussed at the Nov. 20 city council's committee meetings, as the council is considering contract bids for citywide recycling. Council members felt many residents may not know that not every plastic, paper or other household material can be recycled.
When unapproved items are put in the recycling bin, the city receives a charge from Republic Services for the extra cost of taking that waste to the dump.
Accepted recycling items include:
- Junk mail
- Magazines
- Cardboard/Cereal boxes
- Office paper
- Newspaper
- Aluminum cans
- Steel / Tin cans (Ex: Soup cans)
- Plastics #1& #2
- Detergent Bottles
- Water bottles
Republic Services does not accept:
- Plastic bags
- Plastics #3-7
- Styrofoam
- Phone books
- Light Bulbs
- Trash
- Garden hoses
- Electronics
- Cables or cords
- Rope and string
- Ratchet straps
- Vacuum hoses
- Vacuum cleaners
- Clothing and other textiles
- Wire hangers
- Glass
- Rubber balls
- Yard waste
- Used HVAC filters
- Foam products
- Bulky plastic items (coolers, toys)
- Scrap metal
- Household garbage
- Food Waste
See a full list of examples of accepted and unaccepted items on the city's website.
