On Friday, January 31st, twenty members of the Simply Living community enjoyed a Workshop on Recycling in Central Ohio led by Matthew King at the Urban Farm Church in north Columbus.
The workshop was lively, informative, and enlightening, even for those who have been recycling for years and who have had past opportunities to ask Matthrew questions.
What are the Options?
Here’s a little summary of the workshop, which should not be considered comprehensive. In central Ohio, there are seven options for disposing of household waste.
Put It in Your Curbside Recycling Bin
These items are accepted curbside: glass bottles & jars; cardboard & cartons; plastic clamshell containers, bottles, jugs, & tubs; aluminum & steel cans; office paper, junk mail, & envelopes, and paper cups. Note 1: contrary to the way it used to be, greasy pizza boxes are OK to put in the curbside recycling bin (remove the solid residue though). Note 2: though clamshell plastic containers are accepted, deli trays and large bakery lids are not. Note 3: aluminum foil cannot be recycled. Note 4: If a glass jar has a metal lid, they should be placed in the recycling bin separately. Note 5: If it’s possible that you haven’t heard, never place plastic bags in the curbside recycling bin.
Take It to a Store That Accepts Soft Plastics
Take your plastic shopping bags to stores that accept them and that you can trust to recycle them (e.g., Kroger, Meijer, Kohls, IKEA). The bags should be clean & dry and free of paper & tape. These stores also accept plastic overwrap from toilet paper, napkins, paper towels, & bulk items in cases (like bottled water); plastic produce bags, food storage bags, & bread bags; polyethylene film labeled #2 or #4; plastic Amazon Mailers, ice bags.
Place it a Hefty ReNew Bag
If it is plastic but not acceptable in your Curbside Recycling Bin or for drop off as soft plastic, place it in a Hefty ReNew bag, tie the bag closed, and put it in your Curbside Recycling Bin. These go to the Rumpke Recycling facility (as do all the recyclables picked up by all the haulers) and are separated out and sent to Hefty for processing. Hefty ReNew bags can be purchased at most supermarkets.
A partial list of acceptable items includes Styrofoam (to-go boxes, egg cartons, packing peanuts, meat trays, cups, plates, bowls); salad, fruit, & vegetable bags; plastic cups, utensils, cutlery & dinnerware; plastic bottle caps & lids; flexible six pack rings; and clear chip bags. Note 1: this is for plastics only, no metal or foil of any kind, not even chip bags with the mirrored /metal like finish on the inside. Note 2: since there are many store drop off options for soft plastics, don’t put these items in the Hefty ReNew bags.
Take It to a SWACO Convenience Center
Reuse, recycle, and compost all at one place. Drop off tires, books, oil, clothing, TVs, bicycles, lightbulbs, Styrofoam, batteries, appliances, food scraps, and all curbside recycling items at one of the three SWACO convenience centers. Find one at SWACO Convenience Center.
Take It to Other Specific Drop Off Sites
Old batteries, electronic equipment, and appliances and be dropped off at specific drop off locations. There is fairly long list of drop off sites in central Ohio for old batteries and other non-renewables like zinc and nickel, as well as for old electronic equipment and appliances. The lists of these drop off sites can be viewed at ColumbusRecycles.com.
Deliver It to Matthew King
There are also quite a few hard to recycle items that Matthew King, as a service to the community, will accept and deliver to specialty recycling facilities. These include used toothbrushes, razors, empty toothpaste tubes, deodorant tubes & caps, floss boxes, synthetic cork, drink pouches, prescription bottles, brita water filters, ink cartridges, bread bag tags, gift cards, and more. For a complete list of these items, and to find out how and where to find Matthew, go to ColumbusRecycles.com (Yes, this is Matthew’s website!).
Throw It in Your Curbside Solid Waste Bin
If you can’t find a way to recycle it from all the options described, you’ll have no choice but to throw it into your solid waste bin for transport to the landfill.
Visit Simply Living’s Recycling Page
For more information about recycling household items, visit the Simply Living website’s Recycling page at How to Recycle Household Items. And if you interested in taking Matthew King’s Recycling Workshop, send us a message to let us know. We might be doing another one in the future.
