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Metal food and beverage containers can be recycled through the Curbside Program and through Self Haul to the transfer stations.
How to Recycle Metal Food & Beverage Cans
- Empty, Clean & Dry.
- The container must be rinsed clean and dried before placing it in the recycling bag.
- You do not have to remove labels from cans, this is done in the recycling process.
- Remove the lid and place inside of the can
- No spray "aerosol" or paint cans, they are recycled through the Hazardous Waste program.
- Only metal food and beverage cans go in your recycle bag. Larger metal items can be recycled through the drop off scrap metal program at the transfer stations.
What to Recycle
Do Recycle These | Do Not Recycle These | Tips |
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Why Recycle Metal Cans
- Steel cans may be recycled infinitely with no loss of quality. Unlike glass, paper or plastic, metal is in limited supply, putting extra importance on recycling.
- Two-thirds of all new steel manufactured comes from recycled steel, meaning one-third must still come from virgin material.
Paper and cardboard items can be recycled through the Curbside Program and through Self Haul to the transfer stations.
How to Recycle Paper
Paper consists of quite a few different items that you will find in your household. Basically, any paper product can and should be recycled so long as it has not come in direct contact with food or liquid. The paper must be left whole and cannot be shredded or torn in small pieces or it will not go through the recycling machines correctly.
What to Recycle
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Beverage & Liquid | ||
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Catalog & Phone Books | ||
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Cardboard | ||
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Dry Goods | ||
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Frozen Food | ||
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Mixed Paper, Mail & Newspaper | ||
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Why Recycle Paper
The benefits to recycling paper far out weigh any negative impact that recycling can have. Seven benefits of recycling paper as stated on Stopbasura.com are as follows:
- Energy saving: Paper produced from recycled paper represents an energy saving of 70% compared to the energy needed to produce paper from wood or virgin fibers (more than glass)
- Reduction of the raw material consumed (trees felled): For every ton of recycled paper, the equivalent of 12 trees is saved in wood. Other sources indicate 17 trees and even 31.
- Saving resources: By recycling, the paper-cardboard industry could be supplied with almost 69% of the resources it needs
- Water saving: Recycling paper saves 80% of water compared to production from virgin fiber
- Improved air and water quality: Paper recycling constitutes a 74% reduction in gas emissions and a 35% reduction in water polluting emissions
- Savings in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
- Less waste is sent to landfill or for incineration (ecopark)
Plastic containers (#1 and #2 only) can be recycled through the Curbside Program and through Self Haul to the transfer stations.
How to Recycle Plastic
Plastics recycling is limited due to the market. We currently only recycle #1 and #2 plastics. Any lids on those need to be thrown in the trash as they clog up the machines and cause mechanical issues.
Look on plastic containers for this symbol with the number 1 or 2 in the middle. Only numbers 1 and 2 are recyclable, all other numbers need to be placed in the garbage.
What to Recycle
Do Recycle These | Do Not Recycle These | Tips |
Lids are now accepted! Wrappers can be removed or left on. | ||
No plastic clam shells. | ||
The shiny plastic in the bag is often aluminum or a mixed plastic that can not be separated and recycled. | ||
Frozen food bags are often made with a plastic film making them non-recyclable. | ||
No hazardous waste material. For laundry soap make sure to check the number on the bottom. Each bottle can be made differently. | ||
Plastic bags are not recyclable. Use paper or reusable ones instead. |
Why Recycle Plastic
Plastics that are thrown away and sent to the landfill to decompose, take up a lot of space. They also take a very long time to decompose. Recycling the plastic and allowing it to be reused into another product before going to the landfill saves space, energy and resources. The plastics market has taken a huge hit over the past few years and the United States especially is struggling to find solutions to deal with Plastic Waste in our country. New recycling centers are being build and new processes are being put in place. A lot of changes will happen in the next 5-10 years. Stay updated on plastic changes.
Scrap metal is not accepted through the Curbside Program but is accepted through Self Haul to the transfer stations.
How to Recycle Scrap Metal
Recycling scrap metal is easier than you think. And that starts with how easy it is to find scrap metals around the house. Look around your house, and you can find plenty of metal items that you might want to replace. Scrap metal goes through a rigorous sorting process to separate out the non-metal items which makes it much easier on the person recycling. If you have an item that has plastic or other non-metal parts that can easily come off then you should do so but if it is all connected it can still be recycled.
What to Recycle
Do Recycle These | Do Not Recycle These |
Silverware/cutlery Pots and pans | Cylinders: hydraulic, pneumatic, shocks, struts, propane, fire extinguisher, gas, chemical, etc. |
Electrical appliances Railings | Electrical: motors, fluorescent lamp ballast |
Bathroom fixtures Plumbing pipes | Vehicles requiring a license, including automobiles, campers, trailers, or boats. |
The base of lamps Swing sets | Wire/Cable: phone wire, coax, steel cable, wire fence. |
Metal chairs Aluminum and steel cans |
Bulky Metal Appliances
Bulky metal appliances, also known as "white goods," are accepted at the transfer stations in BZ Corners, Dallesport and Goldendale, but are collected separate from other types of scrap metal. Ask the attendant for assistance. Out of county appliances are not accepted.
Why Recycle Scrap Metal
Scrap metal can be melted down and turned back into new metal products an endless amount of times. This makes it a very valuable resource to recycle. It also saves on the mining that is needed to create new metal products.
Glass is not accepted through the Curbside Program but is accepted through Self Haul to the transfer stations.
How to Recycle Glass Bottles
- Empty, Clean & Dry
- Dispose of the lid in the trash
- Does not need to be sorted by color
- Try not to break the glass as it is more dangerous for the workers and can become a problem for the machines that sort through them
What to Recycle
Do Recycle These | Do Not Recycle These | Tips |
No broken glass, colors can be mixed | ||
Jars can be recycled, just toss the lids in the trash. Plates, glass cups, and ovenware are not recyclable |
Why Recycle Glass
Glass can be recycled endlessly and produce a new glass item. Why have it sit in a landfill when we can save energy and space by creating a new item from the used item.
Detailed information can be found on our Klickitat County E-Waste webpage or by going to the Washington Department of Ecology's E-Cycle webpage. All accepted E-Waste can be dropped off at the Goldendale Transfer Station or at one of our collection events held throughout the county.
What can I recycle for free through E-Cycle Washington?
- Televisions
- Computers
- Laptops
- Monitors
- Tablets
- E-readers
- Portable DVD players
What type of items are not accepted?
Computer peripherals such as keyboards, mice, and printers are not included in the E-Cycle WA program. Peripherals and the other electronics noted below can be dropped off at these participating retailers and recycled at no charge.
- Keyboards — Best Buy and Staples stores
- Printers — Best Buy and Staples stores
- Toner cartridges — Best Buy and Staples stores
- Cell phones — Best Buy, Staples, and RadioShack stores