Q: What type of plastic containers can be recycled?
A: Upper Arkansas Recycling will accept #1 through #7 plastics.  Look for the number inside three chasing arrows on the bottom of the container and lids. Any unlabeled plastic should be reused or thrown in the garbage.

Rinse and flatten container before putting in the recycling bin. Any unlabeled plastic should be reused or thrown in the garbage.  NO LARGE OR BULKY ITEMS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Q: What steps should I take to recycle my plastic bottles?
A: There are three easy steps to recycle plastics.

• 1) Check the bottom/side of the container for the chasing arrows with a number.
• 2) If there is no number, please reuse or throw in your household trash.
• 2) Empty and rinse container.
• 3) Bring the plastic, bagged, to the plastic recycling events.

Q: What are the seven types of plastic?
A: There are seven types of consumer plastic or resin. They are identified by a number inside three chasing arrows.

#1 PETE: Polyethylene Terephthalate.

Commonly used in soft drinks, juice, and cough syrup containers and microwave trays.

#2 HDPE: High Density Polyethylene.

Commonly used in milk jugs, detergent and shampoo bottles.

#3 V: Polyvinyl Chloride.

Commonly used in film for meat packaging and some rigid plastic containers.

#4 LDPE: Low Density Polyethylene.

Commonly used in newspaper and grocery bags and butter cups lids.

#5 PP: Polypropylene.

Commonly used in yogurt containers and deli trays.

#6 PS: Polystyrene.

Commonly used in plastic cups and plates and to-go containers.

#7 OTHER: Other mixed resins.

Commonly used in mixed plastic containers or plastic products.

Q: Can I recycle plastic bags?
A: Yes, most plastic shopping bags can be recycled at Wal-Mart.  They have recycling containers just inside each entrance. 

Upper Arkansas Recycling does NOT accept them during the plastic collection event.  Plastic bags cannot be recycled with rigid containers because they have a different melting point. The plastic bags melt very quickly compared to rigid containers and therefore cannot be used in the same process.

Instead of using a plastic bag, try using durable canvas bags on your next shopping trip!  Wal-Mart in Cañon City now sells an inexpensive reusable bag made from recycled plastic bottles.

Q: Can I recycle Styrofoam?
A: Reuse it, if you can! Polystyrene (also known as Styrofoam or #6 plastic) is accepted on a limited basis at the Plastic Recycling Events.

The UPS Store collects and reuses packing materials like polystyrene packing peanuts. Call or stop by your local store to find out what materials they accept. To find a store near you, visit http://www.theupsstore.com and click on "locations.

Q: Can I recycle my plastic binder or broken plastic cups?
A:  Any unlabeled plastic container or product cannot be recycled because we do not know what type of plastic it is made of. Many plastic products are made of a combination of plastics which makes them inherently unrecyclable. Also, be aware that plastic products can be made with recycled content in them, but it doesn't mean that they are recyclable. They must have the correct identification code on them.

Q: What happens to plastic bottles once I bring them to the collection event?
A: All of the plastics are baled.  We then ship them to Denver where they are shipped to processing plants. When they arrive at the processing plants, the plastic bottles are chipped into small flakes, washed, melted and turned into pellets which are sold the plastic bottle manufacturers who make new bottles or other plastic products.

Q:How many water bottles are recycled and why should we recycle them?
A: An on-the-go society combined with masses of health conscious consumers has turned the single serve bottle of water into a national icon. These empty “icons” are causing serious environmental problems.

According to a recent report, more than 1 billion water bottles are winding up in the trash in California each year. That translates into nearly 3 million empty water bottles going into California landfills EVERY day. If recycled, the raw material from those bottles could be used to make 74 million square feet of carpet, 74 million extra large T-shirts, or 16 million sweaters, among other things.

With their popularity increasing and summer right around the corner, single serve water bottles are poised to cause even greater environmental concerns if recycle rates go unchanged. According to the report, only 16% of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) water bottles sold are being recycled.