Starting the new year off right with a visit to the recycling center is a good thing. In fact, any visit to the recycling center is good because you are doing your part to help save the earth…even in a small way. Lots of little ways can add up to big results when they are done right.
Now for the frustrating part, the “done right” part. That was what was missing. While putting tin in the appropriately marked trailer, I saw some plastic items mixed in. I did reach in and snagged as many as I could, but simply couldn’t reach them all. I’ve also noticed tin cans thrown in with the glass occasionally. That just baffles me because I don’t understand why people would go to all the trouble to bring their items to recycle to the center and then not take that extra moment to put them in their individual collection containers. Ben Lee has been running the center for quite some time now and we have had this discussion many times before. We have never been successful coming up with an acceptable explanation, so it remains a mystery.
On your next visit to the center, take a quick look and see if there’s something out of place that simply needs to be removed and put where it belongs. I agree, you shouldn’t have to, but every little bit helps.
The Polk County Recycling Center is open Thursday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until noon, at their location just east of MO 32 and Route D in Bolivar. They are accepting the same items as always. The complete list follows below for your convenience.
They` will accept:
Plastic #1 and #2 are accepted for recycling and no longer have to be sorted separately. Lids for those plastics are also accepted and may be left on the bottles.
Aluminum cans need to be separated from other aluminum products such as foil, pie tins, etc. Having them already sorted will help as the beverage cans will go in a different bin than the other foil items.
Tin cans are accepted and you will be glad to know that you do not have to remove the labels if you would prefer not to.
Glass recycling is easy as you do not have to separate it by color.
Your cardboard items do need to be flattened, but you don’t have to remove the staples. Also, cardboard cereal boxes and other clean boxes are fine, but no pizza boxes or other boxes with food scraps.
Office paper, newspapers and magazines are accepted in the same bin. Hardcover books can be bagged together or the hardcovers may be taken off and put into the cardboard bin and the book pages may be added to the paper bin.
Corrugated cardboard only goes into the cardboard bin.
Here’s a couple of reminders for you. You may also take your cardboard to the Community Outreach Ministries. It can be dropped off at 320 S. Market Street in Bolivar on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Clear and colored glass can still be put into the glass collection container, but please do not put ceramics in with the glass. Ceramics are not accepted.
Other items that you wouldn’t necessarily think about being recycled are being accepted. You may bring lawn mowers and small engines that have had their fluids drained, Christmas lights, wiring and/or electrical cords, automotive batteries, metal appliances, including refrigerators, washers and dryers, freezers, and metal shelving. All appliances need fluids drained prior to bringing them to the center. Freezers and refrigerators need refrigerant pumped off ahead of time. VCRs are also accepted.
You may also add egg cartons to the list of items that may be dropped off at the center. Anyone in need of egg cartons would be welcome to them based on availability.
Thank you for continuing with your recycling efforts. Take it one step further and let's all help keep things sorted out as we go. It’s the right thing to do.
Janet Gordon
