Recycling plastics just got easier

Recycling is confusing, especially when it comes to plastics. The new Recycle Plastics Better flyer from the Mid-America Regional Council is designed to provide clear information about what types of plastics are recyclable and where to recycle them in the Kansas City region.

Three general types of plastics regularly enter our homes: containers, film and Styrofoam. Each type is recyclable in the Kansas City metro area through different means:

• Plastic containers such as bottles, tubs and jars are recyclable in your curbside recycling bin and at area recycling centers.
• Films that stretch when you put your finger through them, like retail shopping bags and plastic shipping envelopes, are recyclable at many local grocery stores and big box stores.
• Styrofoam packaging that comes with new appliances, furniture or electronics is recyclable at two different businesses in the metro area.

“One of the goals of this effort is to dispel the myth that if a plastic item has a number in the arrow symbol on it, that it’s recyclable here in the Kansas City metro area,” said Matt Riggs, outreach coordinator for the MARC Solid Waste Management District. “Those numbers are just resin codes the plastics industry uses for sorting purposes. They’re not intended to denote an item’s recyclability in a given market such as Kansas City. It’s easier if people pay attention to the type of item, not its resin code. For example, water bottles are recyclable but not everything with a #1 resin code on it is recyclable.”
 
Unfortunately, for every type of plastic that is recyclable, many are not. This is due mainly to the low value of the material combined with heavy food and beverage contamination. Plastic clamshells, takeout boxes, snack wrappers and Styrofoam food/beverage containers are just a few materials listed in the “No” section of the flyer. These items should be disposed in your trash. 

The Recycle Plastics Better flyer was created by the MARC Solid Waste Management District, which works directly with area material recovery facilities (MRFs) to ensure that the recycling information provided is both comprehensive and up to date. MRFs are where our curbside recyclables go for processing.

“It’s not your city, your local trash hauler or the EPA that determines which items are recyclable in the Kansas City metro area,” said Riggs. “The MRFs determine which items are profitable and those are the items that show up on the ‘Yes’ list. The items on the ‘No’ list are too low in value and high in contaminates to make them worth recycling.”

In addition to properly identifying plastic containers for recycling, residents need to properly prepare them. Recyclable plastic containers must be:

• Empty, clean and dry.
• Larger than a credit card (sorting equipment can’t sort anything smaller and they end up being disposed at the MRFs).
• Have caps and lids put back on.

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Plastic film and non-food Styrofoam packaging are not accepted by local MRFs, but are accepted by other businesses that have end markets for them.