Where does our Garbage Go?

Earth Day 2018 has set the goal to end plastic pollution. As consumers, we acquire and use a lot of plastic containers and products. It is important for us to know what to do with plastic after it has been used so that it can be recycled and reused, eliminating plastic waste.

Here in Utah, we use a single-stream collection system. This allows us to throw all our non-recyclable materials in one bin, and our recyclable materials in another. Once collected and delivered to the facility, the recyclable material is hand sorted and the non-recyclable material is placed in the landfill.

To do our part in reducing plastic pollution and overall waste, here are a few tips on how to recycle in Utah:

• Take care to put aluminum cans, plastic bottles, and non-shredded paper in the blue recycling bin.
• Do not put glass, shredded paper, or plastic bags in your home recycling bin. In Utah, you can take your non-curbside recyclable materials to various drop off locations.
• Make sure that all recyclable materials are clean before disposing of them.