If you have this product, please ensure that the can contains a green box around the dandelion. If there is no green box present, please bring the product to the Winneshiek County Recycling Center to be disposed of properly.
Author: Winneshiek Waste
Flattening Cardboard Boxes
We greatly appreciate everyone’s effort to recycle. Please remember to flatten your cardboard boxes so there is more bin space available for others to utilize. Thank you for your efforts to help our recycling system thrive!
Plastic Beverage Containers Containing Liquid
Plastic beverage containers stamped with a #1 are currently recyclable in Winneshiek County. However, if these items contain a significant amount of liquid when they arrive at the recycling facility, they are thrown in the trash and transported to the landfill. Please remember to empty your beverage containers before throwing them in the recycling bin. Thank you!
Numbers on Plastic Products
When we sort our plastic containers, it’s important that we check for a number on the product to determine whether we can recycle it or not. Typically the number can be found on the bottom of the container. In the example below, the number is located on the side of the bottle near the bottom. Plastic items stamped #1 and #2 can be recycled in Winneshiek County. Plastic products labeled #3 through #7 and those that do not contain numbers cannot be recycled in Winneshiek County, as there is no market for those materials at this time.
Plastic and Metal Bottle Caps
Plastic Bottle Caps
In Winneshiek County, we ask that you remove bottle caps when you recycle your plastic containers. There are two reasons for this:
- Removing the cap allows the bottles to be compressed more when they are baled. This allows more plastic to be transported in one load.
- Plastic caps typically do not contain a number. If they do, they are usually greater than #2 which means we can’t recycle them in Winneshiek County. At this time, the county only accepts plastics stamped #1 and #2.
Metal Bottle Caps
Metal bottle caps can be recycled if you take the proper steps:
- Separate your bottle caps into empty aluminum and steel cans. If the cap sticks to a magnet, it’s steel. If not, then it’s aluminum.
- Place the steel caps in the steel can and aluminum caps in the aluminum can.
- Once the containers are halfway full with caps, crimp the cans closed so the caps don’t fall out when they are processed.
Loose metal caps that are thrown into the recycling bin are less likely to be recycled because they are often too small to be identified. As a result, they fall through the screeners in the sorting process and end up going to the landfill.
4th of July Plastic Cup Usage
Have a great 4th of July weekend! Please remember to recycle your cans and bottles! If you are purchasing cups for an event, keep in mind that the clear cup in the photo is recyclable. The red cup is NOT recyclable. Stay safe!
Milk Cartons
Milk cartons cannot be recycled at the Winneshiek County Recycling Center. Cartons generally contain a thin layer of plastic coating on the inside. The mix of paper and plastic in this product make it difficult to recycle. Please throw milk cartons in your trash bin. Plastic gallon jugs and half gallon jugs can be recycled.
Scrap Metal
Did you know that there is a 24 hour bin at the Freeport Recycling Center for scrap metal? If you have larger amounts, you can bring it to the Freeport Recycling Center during business hours 6am-3pm and ask for assistance from one of our staff members.
What Do I Do With Used Clothing?
When debating what to do with used clothing, think twice before throwing those items in the trash! There are local organizations that could use excess clothing. Some businesses might even offer a payout for the pieces. Visit the following websites to see what these organizations can and cannot accept:
Did You Know The Freeport Recycling Center Can Recycle Your Confidential Documents?
The Freeport Recycling Center is happy to offer this FREE service! Confidential documents are shredded at the facility and then transported out to be recycled. Although this is a great service, we have been experiencing comingling of various paper items in this bin. These items can potentially damage the shredder. Please ensure only office paper is placed in the confidential recycling bin. Office paper is very valuable and can be recycled into many different products.
