[SOUTHERN OREGON] April 22, 2020, Three waste management companies in Southern Oregon – Republic Services, Rogue Disposal & Recycling, and Southern Oregon Sanitation – are pleased to announce that #1 and #2 plastic bottles and jugs will now be accepted in curbside recycling carts and at local recycle depots. As a result of the global recycling markets crisis in late 2017, most plastics had to be removed from curbside programs due to high levels of plastic contamination. Since the crisis, these three companies have worked tirelessly to create a cleaner recycling stream and help stabilize the domestic market so that more materials could be accepted.

Republic Services, Rogue Disposal & Recycling, and Southern Oregon Sanitation are dedicated to the betterment of the environment and the communities they serve. “We could not have accomplished this goal without the focused efforts of recycling programs across Southern Oregon and the dedication of our community members to follow the new recycling guidelines,” says Laura Leebrick, Community and Governmental Affairs Manager at Rogue Disposal & Recycling. “We are pleased and grateful to be able to celebrate this year’s Earth Day with this remarkable milestone.”

You can identify acceptable plastic containers by following three key steps:

  • Check the shape: only bottles and jugs are accepted
  • Check the neck: the neck must be smaller than the base of the container
  • Check the number: a #1 or #2 inside of a recycle triangle should be stamped on the bottom of the container

Once you have determined that a container can be recycled, you should always remove the lid, empty the contents, and rinse the container thoroughly before placing it in your curbside cart or dropping it off at a recycle depot.

In addition to #1 and #2 bottles and jugs, you are still able to recycle newspapers and inserts (no magazines), corrugated cardboard, and tin and aluminum cans in your curbside recycling cart. “As we make this transition, it is important to remember to only place acceptable items in your recycling cart,” says Leebrick. “In order to continue stabilizing the recycling market we have to keep contaminants out of the carts. That means no plastic bags, clamshell containers, lids, or any plastics stamped with #3 through #7.” All three companies will continue to work with their customers on identifying and removing items that do not belong in curbside recycling carts.

If you have any questions about what you can and cannot recycle, please visit one of the following websites dependent on your location and recycling service provider:

Republic Services of Grants Pass: http://local.republicservices.com/site/Grants-Pass

Rogue Disposal & Recycling: https://roguedisposal.com/

Southern Oregon Sanitation: https://www.sosanitation.com/

 

 

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