(BLOOMINGTON) – City of Bloomington sanitation customers are reminded to place only recyclable items in their recycling carts for pickup. The City accepts paper products, metal and glass containers, and plastics labeled #1-7 for recycling; a complete list is available here.
The City no longer accepts styrofoam or plastic film of any sort. Paper and cardboard products must be dry; and metal, glass, and plastic must be cleaned of any residue to be collected. Sanitation crews report non-collection most frequently as a result of the presence of the following non-recyclable items in recycling carts:
- Grease stained pizza boxes
- Plastic film of any sort (plastic grocery bags, trash bags, packing tape, bubble wrap, etc.)
- Styrofoam of any sort (egg cartons, take-out containers, packing styrofoam, etc.)
Sanitation crews reject carts containing these and other non-recyclables (see a complete list here) because the mixture of recyclable materials with non-recyclable ones can result in the rejection of large lots of the City’s recycling at the facility where it is processed. Styrofoam and plastic film have become non-recyclable because of shifts in the secondary market for these materials over the past two years.
In anticipation of next week’s Thanksgiving holiday, sanitation customers whose regular pickup day is Thursday should expect a one-day delay in collection. These sanitation customers should place waste and recycling carts on the curb by 5:00 a.m. Friday, November 27. All customers may experience delays in trash and recycling pickup over the next two weeks due to staffing shortages. As announced earlier this week, two Sanitation Division employees are currently on paid leave after having received positive COVID-19 test results, as are additional workers identified as close contacts who are currently quarantining.
Residents can do their part to protect sanitation workers from COVID-19 infection by bagging all trash before placing it in their trash cart, and wiping down lids and handles of their carts after placing them at the curb, among other practices. Recycling carts must contain loose, unbagged items. Learn more about protecting the health and safety of our City’s sanitation workers here.
