Are you recycling the right stuff?

Are you recycling the right stuff?

Some popular plastics are no longer accepted

By Ben McCarthy

It’s been one year since area residents began hearing about new recycling guidelines that were taking effect and significantly narrowing the category of recyclable plastics.

The Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) issued the Recycle_Better_Flyer a year ago as part of the organization’s efforts to help educate the greater Kansas City metro area about what collection providers, like Waste Management and GFL Environmental (who combine to collect at least 95% of all recyclables locally), would now be accepting in the plastics category. Matt Riggs, Outreach Coordinator for MARC, says their year-long efforts show no sign of slowing, and it has been an on-going challenge getting the area to adjust to the new, stricter guidelines.

“There’s been a lot of surprise and disappointment from everyone over the past year,” Riggs said. “The reality is Waste Management (and other collectors) will only take (and recycle) the things they can make money on.”

Due, in part, to those diminishing financial returns, local waste collectors stopped collecting popular plastic products, such as takeout containers (which exploded in usage because of COVID lockdowns, along with longstanding efforts around the country to cut down on the Styrofoam containers). It’s just one of the significant changes to recycling that many around Kansas City are still unaware of.

“People think that because they still see the symbol on something it’s still a recyclable product,” Riggs said. “The symbol is still going to be there, because it might be getting picked up and recycled somewhere else on the country, but it doesn’t mean you can rely on it.”

Beyond the recycle symbol, most plastic products also contain a number, ranging from 1 to 7.

“#1 plastics” are the most commonly produced plastic, some of which are still being collected for recycling (such as water or soda bottles). Other #1 plastics are now headed to landfills. This includes the cups customers receive from many fast-food establishments.

In addition to being more selective about these #1 plastics, other entire categories of plastics will not be recycled, either. Plastics #3, #6, and #7 are all designated for landfills, as well. Meanwhile, #2, #4, and #5 plastics can still be put in your curbside bins for recycling pickups. The new segregated plastics have led to an influx of confused and discouraged residents.

“We get a lot of calls from people trying to figure out what’s right and wondering if everything’s just going into the landfill,” Riggs said. “Getting people to recycle means getting them to change practices and behaviors.”

The Recycle Better flyer was intended to give clear guidance across the city and help residents establish new recycling habits. Now, the continued confusion and frustration surrounding the 2023 guidelines has MARC preparing to issue a new flyer with the hope of providing additional clarification. The new “Recycle Plastics Better” campaign should kick off in early May with the new flyers being sent out to city government offices, schools, and other community organizations.

Riggs says they aren’t aware of any smaller outfits looking to step in and begin collecting these unwanted plastic products for the foreseeable future. Broader information about recycling operations and corresponding guidelines around the area can be found at RecycleSpot.org.

Styrofoam may not be headed to landfill

While plastic recycling is falling, Riggs says other efforts are making strides, even in materials usually cut off from recycling operations.

The Midwest Recycling Center (MRC), which specializes in electronics collections, has recently invested in technology to help recycle styrofoam. The company’s facility at 2000 E 19th St, began accepting styrofoam drop offs at no charge (in reasonable quantities) earlier this year. Director of Business Development Greg Cooksey says they are still awaiting word of mouth to help ramp up collections of the little recycled material.

“We made the investment on the technology because we get a lot of electronics and appliances wrapped in styrofoam packaging,” Cooksey said. “We’re not sure what the ROI (return on investment) will be, but we hope the volume we collect will offset things.”

The styrofoam densifier at MRC only takes material that hasn’t been contacted by food or beverage. This means styrofoam that comes with home goods like appliances (microwaves and televisions) or furniture. Styrofoam recycling had only existed in town on the Kansas side, with Atlas Molded Products operating a styrofoam densifier in Kansas City, KS.

MRC’s website, mrcrecycling.net, also posts upcoming electronic recycling events happening around the city.

Turning Denim from Blue to Green

In what may be a first of its kind, Madewell at Town Center in Leawood is taking old, unwanted denim and recycling them. Through their partnership with Cotton’s Blue Jeans go Green program, they turn the old jeans into housing insulation for communities in need. Customers also receive $20 vouchers toward their next pair of Madewell jeans for their donation.