Waste Management adds to curbside recyclable material list
WENATCHEE — Blue curbside recycling bins in the Wenatchee Valley just got heavier.
Waste Management has expanded its list of accepted recyclable materials to now include plastic cups made of polypropylene, paper to-go cups and plastic tubs, according to a news release from Sustainable NCW.
Recycling varies from region to region, and Sustainable NCW collaborates with WM in North Central Washington to offer Waste Wizard, an online resource for Chelan and Douglas County residents to know “how, where and when to recycle, repurpose, repair, donate or safely dispose of hundreds of materials.”
The expanded list is specific to paper cups, like all to-go hot cups given at coffee shops and plastic cups made of polypropylene that are used for serving cold coffee or soda. The plastic tubs that can now be recycled include those used for yogurt, cottage cheese, butter and clear tubs for take-out soup.
Tub lids, plastic clamshells commonly used for strawberries or salad greens, and K-Cup coffee pods are not accepted. Plastic lids, plastic straws and #6 plastic cups like Red Solo cups are also not recyclable and are thrown in the waste bin.
Other items already recyclable include plastic bottles without lids, aluminum and steel cans, paper and cardboard. The release says the changes to the accepted materials list “helped expedite the path so more to-go cups can be recycled curbside in more local recycling programs across the U.S.”
“Investing in advanced recycling technology at the WM SMaRT Center allows us to
capture more recyclable material from homes, schools and businesses,” Mackenzi
Borja, WM education and outreach coordinator, said in the release. “The goal is to reduce waste, improve recycling and deliver important sustainability results for communities in the Wenatchee Valley. This is part of WM’s broader commitment to invest over $1.4 billion in recycling infrastructure through 2026.”
For more information on the Waste Wizard and the recyclability of to-go cups and plastic tubs, visit the Sustainable NCW website.