Historical February–March 2012 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
In true Skinker-DeBaliviere fashion, we have enthusiastically embraced the Single-Stream Recycling system.
But there seems to be some confusion over what is and isn’t recyclable.
While I’ve been seeing some odd things over the past year, the “best” was a plastic bag (not acceptable) filled with cassette tapes (what was someone thinking)! Of course, I was with my music-mad son who was trying to read what the cassettes were and how to get them out of the dumpster.
He didn’t succeed. So I thought a review of what can be recycled and what can’t might be helpful.
There is much more information on the City of St. Louis’s web site (and on the dumpsters!) These are a few highlights: Acceptable items and their exceptions: • Glass, clear, brown & green glass only (no blue glass, ceramics, mirrors, windows, Pyrex, drinking glasses, light bulbs) • Plastic containers #’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and #7 The numbers are stamped on the bottoms of the container. (No bottles or jars containing antifreeze and cooking oil. No disposable diapers (who would have thought!), frozen food bags, plastic bags or wrap and no Styrofoam, foam or polystyrene products.) • Chipboard/paperboard/ carrier stock Examples would be boxes for cereal, cake mixes, crackers, dry foods, paper supplies, shoes, soda, etc. ( Do NOT include boxes or cartons coated or lined with wax, plastic or foil – prime examples would be frozen food boxes.) • Aluminum Containers In addition to cans, include food trays, pie plates and foil. *Junk Mail/Mixed Office Paper – but no paper clips or rubber bands and NO carbon paper, construction paper, tissue paper, spiral note books (remove the metal first), plastic coated paper, laminated paper, plastic sheet protectors, facial, sanitary or toilet tissues, thermal fax paper, hardback books, shopping bags with handles, and foiled gift wrap. • Corrugated Cardboard and Kraft Paper Bags. Cardboard should be flattened. NO fiber drums and cardboard contaminated with food (e.g. greasy pizza boxes or cardboard egg cartons with broken eggs) • Aseptic Packaging and Gable Top Containers Examples include juice boxes, soy milk boxes, broth and stock boxes and milk cartons. • Steel Cans All are acceptable EXCEPT cans which contained paint, oil or hazardous materials. • No Plastic Bags (Return to the retailer to be recycled.) • Catalogs and Magazines EXCEPT postcards and hardback books. • Newspapers but NOT in plastic bags or wrappers or string and twine. • Telephone Books They may be recycled as they are.
The City requests that items be rinsed and that caps and lids removed (with the exception of steel cans, which are attached). Labels do not need to be removed.
Please remember with all the dumpsters (trash, Single-Stream and yard waste), items need to be IN the containers.
If the dumpster is full, do not leave items on top or leaning against it.
The men driving the trucks cannot get out to pick up things not properly thrown away.
Please help the recycling program to do what it is supposed to do and to keep our alleys picked up and clean.
Original photograph caption
Single-stream recycling dumpster. Descriptive caption supplied.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, February–March 2012.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2012_02.pdf, printed page(s) 6; PDF page(s) 6.
