Building Local Community Through Arts, Cultural, and Recreational Events, and the Exchange of Goods and Services
We have been noticing more contamination in the recycling bins located at the Decorah 48-Hour Municipal parking lot. Please ensure your recyclables are placed in the correct containers. This is very important for our staff at the recycling center. The materials shown in the pictures were found in the paper bins.
Thank you and have a good weekend!
This is a day to reflect on how we can all do our part to protect the planet and reduce waste. Here some things you can do to join the movement:
Recycle Right: Make sure you’re only recycling items accepted in our Winneshiek County program. When in doubt, please contact us!
Reduce Contamination: Ensure that there are no food reminants on your recyclables and please empty your beverage containers before placing them in a bin. Also, please don’t send us plastic bags.
Spread the Word: Share your recycling tips with friends and family and encourage them to recycle, too!
Questions about recycling rules in our county? Visit our “What Do I Do With” page or review our recycling guide here.
Keep up the great work, Winneshiek County! Have a fantastic weekend!
In observance of Veterans Day, the recycling center will be closed on Monday, November 11th. Thank you to all who have served. We will resume normal hours on Tuesday, November 12th.
If you are planning to drop off recyclable items this weekend at one of the recycling collection sites, please remember:
-Do not bag your recyclable materials. Place items loose in the recycling bins.
-Ensure beverage containers are empty before recycling.
-Do not leave items next to the bins, and please ensure they are placed in the correct containers.
Bagged items and liquids can contaminate recycling and slow down the process.
If you have questions on what you can and cannot recycle in Winneshiek County, please check out our recycling guide here. There is also a link to a printable recycling guide at the bottom of the page.
Thanks for your help, and keep up the excellent work!
We hope you all had a fantastic Halloween!
Please remember to consider composting your pumpkins instead of tossing them in the trash when they start to look spooky in the wrong way 🙂 Composting pumpkins helps reduce landfill waste and adds nutrients back to the soil.
Here’s what you can do:
-Remove any candles or decorations from your pumpkin
-Cut the pumpkin into smaller pieces to help it break down faster
-Add it to your compost pile
By composting, you are creating your own fertilizer at home and reducing the amount of trash created.
Here’s another option:
If you have farm animals at home, consider giving your pumpkins to them. Many animals enjoy eating pumpkins, and it’s a nutrious treat for them! Just be sure the pumpkins aren’t moldy and don’t contain any wax, paint, or other decorations before feeding them to animals!
Thanks for your help reducing the amount of waste going to our landfill!
Are you as excited as we are for Halloween!?
As we enjoy all those treats, remember candy wrappers do NOT belong in your recycling bin! Most candy wrappers can’t be recycled and can cause issues at our facility. Instead, throw wrappers in the trash to help us keep recycling safe and efficient!
Thank you for keeping our recycling clean! Keep up the great work and have a fantastic weekend!
Happy Friday all!
Important Recycling Reminder:
We wanted to remind you that plastic bags are NOT accepted at our recycling center. These bags are tanglers and get caught in our equipment, causing damage and delays in processing your recyclables.
For this reason, please consider using reusable bags! As we mentioned in a previous post, this is a great way to reduce plastic waste and keep our planet clean.
If you have any questions on what we accept at the recycling center, please check out our “What Do I Do With?” page or review our recycling guide by clicking here. A printable recycling guide is also available on this page.
Thank you and have a great weekend!
Big thanks to Mr. Bohach and all the Decorah sophomores for touring the Winneshiek County Sanitary Landfill last week! We loved sharing how we manage garbage and discussing ways we can keep materials out of this space. Recycling and composting are essential in increasing the lifespan of our landfill. We hope you learned a lot and can share what you discovered with others! Remember: Reduce, reuse, recycle!
We have been noticing an increase in scrap metal being placed in the recycling bins throughout the county, especially the Locust site. The only types of metals that should go in these bins are metal cans, aluminum foil, etc. Please ensure scrap metal is taken to the drop off shed at the recycling center and placed in the bins that say “Scrap Metal”. This is for the safety of our staff, and it helps prevent our equipment from being damaged. The metal item shown in the picture is a perfect example of something that should have gone in the scrap metal bin.
The items shown in the other picture were recently collected at the 48-hour lot next to Decorah City Hall. They were placed next to the bins. We have been seeing more of this too. Items cannot be left next to recycling containers. This is considered littering. Please only place recyclable materials in the bins and ensure they go in the correct bin. If you are questioning whether something is recyclable in our county, please call us or email us or message us on Facebook.
Thanks for your help in supporting our recycling center and keeping our community clean! Have a fantastic weekend!
Happy Friday! We have another waste reduction tip for you!
Before you decide to buy something new, consider buying it used. This can save you money and support local charities that prevent these items from going in the trash. This can mean buying things like secondhand clothes, used furniture and repurposed construction materials or searching the web for deals on other items. Remember, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure! 🙂
Enjoy your weekend!
Earlier this month, we had the pleasure of hosting the incredible 5th graders from St. Benedict Catholic School for tours of both the Winneshiek County Sanitary Landfill and the recycling center! We were so impressed by their enthusiasm and throughtful questions about waste management and sustainability. Thank you again for visiting, and we hope to see you all again soon!
Speaking of waste management, did you know that tomorrow is National Clean Up Day? If you’re out for a walk on a trail or spending time in a park this weekend, please consider bringing gloves and a trash bag and help keep our planet clean. Every little bit counts!
Have a great weekend!