“Changes to Plastic Recycling to Support our Youth in Ruidoso Downs/Capitan/Carrizozo/Corona/Ruidoso
”
Major changes have come to plastic recycling in Lincoln County according
to Greentree Solid Waste [GSWA] officials. Lincoln County will now join
other New Mexico communities in accepting only Grade 1 and Grade 2 plastic
bottles for recycling. All other grades of plastic [3 – 7] will not be
accepted by material manufacturers to whom the recycled plastic is sold,
and may be discarded in the regular trash.
Identification of these items is easy! Turn the container over
and look for the recycling triangle with a 1 or 2 molded or
imprinted on the bottom of the container. Any other numbered
plastic items should be discarded in the trash.
Grade 1 PETE plastic [polyethylene terephthalate] is ‘any plastic
container with a neck’, primarily beverage containers like water
bottles, soft drinks. Grade 2 HDPE [high density polyethylene] is
used in water jugs, milk jugs, and other consumer products. The
plastics industry trade association introduced the Resin Identification
Code (RIC) system in 1988 at the urging of recyclers around the
country. The code was developed to meet recyclers' needs while
providing manufacturers a consistent, uniform system that could
apply nationwide.
Availability of plastic recycling is driven by manufacturers who
need raw materials and are willing to pickup and pay for
recycled plastic bales. Soft drink bottlers remain the biggest
user of PET resin. "Custom" bottles are used for other products,
such as salad dressing, peanut butter and jellies. PET is also
used for film, oven trays, sheeting for cups and food trays,
oven trays, and other uses. Half of all polyester carpet made in
the United States is made from recycled PET bottles.
Examples of plastic containers that are no longer recyclable
include:
- Medicine bottles [grade 5]
- Yogurt, butter and other food
containers
- Other food packaging[Grades 5-7]
Other types of plastic that cannot be recycled [no market for
the material] includes:
- Styrofoam of any kind
- Plastic wrap of any
kind
- Plastic shopping bags [can be recycled at
the Smokey’s Country Market (Capitan), Wal-Mart (Ruidoso
Downs) and at local thrift
shops
- Plastic containers with oil, grease, or food
products
- Restaurant cooking oil plastic
containers
For more information, contact the Solid Waste Authority office
at 378-4697, extension 13; toll free at 1-877-548-8772, via
email at gswa@greentreeswa.org or at www.greentreeswa.org
Call us about our current drop-off rate as well as our current Roll-Off specials 575-378-4697