Everyone should keep these “6 Rs” in mind:
Rethink what you need, Reduce what you get, Reuse, Repurpose, or Repair what you can, and Recycle what’s left if possible, but do not put stuff in the recycling container that is not supposed to be in there.
Recycling Tips
Need help understanding what to recycle? Green Team Member Alysa Remsburg has offered these recycling tips!
Reduce and reuse before recycling! Metals and paper are the most profitable to recycle, and La Crosse County also recycles glass plus plastics marked 1, 2, or 5. These include bottles, tubs, and clamshell containers. We can no longer recycle plastics marked as 3, 4, 6, or 7, even if they have chasing arrows triangle! “Wish-cycling,” adding things that you hope might get recycled to the bin, only decreases the value of the things that are recycled. So please do not include soiled materials (e.g. pizza boxes), Styrofoam, bottle or jar lids, (unless marked as recyclable), or plastic bags in with curbside recycling. But plastic bags (if no longer re-used) can be recycled in containers outside Festival and other stores.
Also, I noticed on my last trip to the La Crosse Co. Landfill that # 6 foam can be recycled in a designated bin there now. Also, I believe that bubble wrap and some other types of plastic packaging material can be recycled in the bin for plastic bags at Festival. Cardboard can be recycled at Festival as well.
For more information on recycling right, check out Recycle Right Wisconsin: https://www.recyclemorewisconsin.org/recyclerightwisconsin or https://search.earth911.com/
To learn more about the complexities of recycling issues and of recycling styrofoam cups in particular check out the 2 articles linked below:
What most people don’t know about recycling “Styrofoam” cups (pirg.org)
Recycle Styrofoam Cups: Is It Possible? (treehugger.com)
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If you’d like to receive updates, have suggestions, ideas or comments that you would like to share please contact one of our team members by emailing greensanctuary@uulacrosse.org or use the contact form below!