Recycle Smart – October 2020
Recycle Smart. Keep
toys out of your recycling cart.
Kids toys, large or
small, are not designed to be sorted at recycling facilities. They often
contain more than one material (plastic, metal, textiles, or batteries) making
it difficult, or impossible, to recycle.
For unwanted but
usable toys, offer them to your friends, family, and neighbors; hold a garage
sale, or
Recycle Smart and do
your part by purchasing high-quality toys or, better yet, buy them used! If
they’re still in good shape when your family is done with them, donate, sell,
or give them away.
Recycle Smart – Keep kids’ toys out of your @CityofSaintPaul
recycling cart. Toys, large or small, cannot be sorted at recycling facilities.
They often contain more than one material (plastic, metal, textiles, or
batteries) making it impossible to recycle.
Do your part by purchasing high-quality (or used) toys and
donating items that are in good shape when you’re done with them. www.stpaul.gov/recycle
10/16/20 – 10/31/20
Recycle Smart. Keep bagged recycling out of your cart.
Make sure your recyclables are placed loose in your
recycling cart. Recyclables in plastic bags don’t get properly sorted at the
recycling facility and often end up in the garbage. Using paper bags to collect
containers (plastic, glass and metal) is also discouraged. Recyclables in paper
bags can get smashed together inside the bag and become difficult to separate
at the recycling facility.
Recycle Smart and do your part by putting your recyclables
loose in your recycling cart.
Recycle Smart – Don’t place recyclables in bags before
putting it in your @CityofSaintPaul recycling cart. Recyclers can’t tell what’s
in the bag, so your items might not get recycled. Do your part and place
recycling loose in your cart. Try using a reusable bin or bag to collect
recycling items in your home that you can then dump into the cart. www.stpaul.gov/recycle
Recycle Smart – November 2020 website and social media text
11/1/20 – 11/15/20
Recycle Smart. Keep large plastic items out of your recycling cart.
Plastic lawn furniture, laundry baskets, storage bins, plastic
toys, and other large plastic items can’t be recycled in your recycling cart.
Recycling facilities are not designed to handle larger plastic items. They are
difficult to sort at recycling facilities and there are no good markets to
recycle them.
Recycle Smart and do your part by purchasing high-quality
items, using them for as long as possible, and donating items that are in good
shape when you’re ready to get rid of them.
Recycle Smart – Keep plastic lawn furniture, laundry
baskets, storage bins, plastic toys, and other large plastic items out of your
@CityofSaintPaul recycling cart. Recycling facilities are not designed to
handle larger plastic items. Do your part by purchasing high-quality items,
using them for as long as possible, and donating items that are in good shape
when you’re ready to get rid of them. www.stpaul.gov/recycle
11/16/20 – 11/30/20
Recycle Smart. Keep plastic bags out of your recycling cart.
Plastic bags and wrap get tangled in the equipment at
recycling sorting facilities and workers spend hours each day removing them.
Plastic bags and wrap can be recycled if brought back to a retail drop-off
location.
Recycle Smart and do your part to reduce and recycle plastic
bags and wrap. Bring reusable bags with you when shopping and recycle plastic
bags and wrap at drop-off locations including grocery stores, food co-ops, and
retail stores. Find drop-off locations at PlasticFilmRecycling.org.
Recycle Smart – Keep plastic bags and wrap out of your
@CityofSaintPaul recycling cart. These items get tangled in the equipment at
recycling sorting facilities. Do your part, bring bags to a retail drop-off or
avoid plastic bags altogether by choosing reusable bags. www.stpaul.gov/recycle
Recycle Smart – December 2020 website and social media text
12/1/20 – 12/15/20
Recycle Smart. Keep holiday lights and
electrical cords out of your recycling cart.
Keep “tanglers” like cords, hoses, and string lights out
of your recycling cart. Like plastic bags, these items get wrapped around
equipment at recycling facilities and workers spend hours every day removing
these items from the machinery.
You can recycle cords and string lights at one of the City’s
drop-off locations other Holiday Light Recycling locations. Learn more at
stpaul.gov/holidaylights
Recycle Smart – Keep “tanglers” like cords, hoses and string
lights out of your @CityofSaintPaul recycling cart. These items get wrapped
around equipment at recycling facilities. Do your part by donating working
holiday lights and cords or properly recycling them at a drop-off
location. www.stpaul.gov/recycle
12/16/20 – 12/31/20
Recycle Smart. Keep fancy
gift wrap, tissue paper, and decorations out of your recycling cart.
Wrapping paper with
glitter or foil, as well as tissue paper, ribbons and bows are not recyclable.
Choose low-waste gift wrap like reusable fabric bags, reusable paper bags, old
maps, or newspaper. If purchasing wrapping paper, be sure to choose paper that
is recyclable and made from recycled paper. Recycle Smart and keep glitter,
foil, ribbons, and bows out of your recycling cart.
Here are some other low-waste wrapping ideas:
- Wrap the gift in a colorful cloth. The cloth can
be part of the gift or just a fun reusable way to wrap.
- Flatten packing paper and let kids draw on the
outside.
- Pinch the end of toilet paper or paper towel
tubes to wrap small items.
Recycle Smart and keep glitter, foil, ribbons, and bows out
of your @CityofSaintPaul recycling cart. Wrapping paper with glitter or foil,
as well as tissue paper, ribbons and bows are not recyclable. Choose lower
waste gift wrap like reusable fabric bags, reusable paper bags, old maps, or
newspaper. www.stpaul.gov/recycle
Recycle Smart – January 2021 website and social media text
1/1/21 –
1/15/21
Recycle Smart. Keep toys and batteries out
of your recycling cart.
Kids toys, large or small, with or without batteries, are
not designed to be sorted at recycling facilities. They often contain more than
one material (plastic, metal, textiles) making them difficult or impossible to
recycle. Batteries are especially dangerous as they can start fires at
recycling sorting facilities.
Recycle Smart and do your part by purchasing high-quality
toys, donating usable toys, and properly recycling electronics and batteries at
drop-off locations.
For unwanted but usable toys, offer them to your friends,
family, and neighbors, or
- Hold a
garage sale
- Post
online: Nextdoor, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist
- Bring
toys to a donation center or second-hand store: Goodwill, Salvation
Army, Bridging, Arc’s Value Village
- Bring
sporting goods to an equipment reseller: Play it Again Sports, Way to
go Sports, Instant Replay
Recycle Smart – Keep toys and all batteries out of your
@CityofSaintPaul recycling cart. Any items with batteries, including kids’
toys, are not designed to be sorted at recycling facilities. They often contain
more than one material (plastic, metal, textiles) making it impossible to
recycle. Do your part by recycling electronics and all batteries at drop-off
locations. www.stpaul.gov/recycle
