Q: Tell us again how to recycle as in what numbers on plastic we can consider recycling. And, where do we put it and how it must be bagged if that is necessary. Who picks it up and when? And, what if it can’t be recycled?

Recycling is picked up every week on Tuesdays by Howie’s Trash Service. All items are to be commingled in the provided bins. You may pay for curbside recycling in the duplex and cottages through Howie’s Recycling & Trash Service. Meadowlark Hills also has two locations to drop off recycled items on campus. There is a recycling container at the north end of the Miller parking lot; also there are bins behind the freight elevator on the first floor. All containers are emptied by Howie’s on Tuesday. Staff checks the containers behind the elevator Monday thru Friday and swap the containers with empty ones as needed.  You may recycle all plastics numbered from 1-7.  Howie’s does not accept plastic bags, so please do not place items in the recycling bins in plastic bags. However, some local stores have drop boxes to recycle plastic bags. The following are a list of items that can and cannot be recycled under the current program.

Recyclable items:

• Newspaper—no rain bags
• Catalogs
• Junk mail
• Advertising inserts
• Telephone books
• Magazines
• Manila folders
• Corrugated cardboard
• Office paper
• Paperback books
• Brochures
• Pizza boxes (no food)
• Chipboard (cereal, shoe, cracker boxes, etc.)
• Aluminum and metal cans
• Cardboard egg cartons
• Shredded paper (in paper bag)
• Steel (tin) cans
• Cardboard (must breakdown)
• Mixed papers (newspapers, telephone books, magazines)
• Plastics #1 through #7

Non-Recyclable items:

• Styrofoam
• Gift wrap
• Hanging file folders
• Paper plates
• Paper towels
• Pet food bags
• Charcoal bags
• Plastic bags
• Blueprints
• Paper cups
• Tissue paper
• Photos
• Fertilizer bags
• Kitty litter bags
• Yard waste
• Ceramics
• Batteries
• Petroleum fluids
• Light bulbs
• Garbage
• Plastic containers that held oil, antifreeze or other petroleum fluids
• Glass

No household waste or automotive product containers will be accepted. Glass cannot be placed in the recycling bins at Meadowlark Hills, but glass may be taken to Howie’s Trash Service at 625 S. 10th Street and recycled there. Thanks for another great question and please keep them coming.