Recycling household items
We would like to share with you the household items that can be recycled. The examples of the items that can be recycled on a weekly basis are shown below.
Place these items at the curb in a blue bucket or have a trash can with a city-approved sticker on the side facing the street on your regularly scheduled collection day. Blue buckets are available at the city’s street department on North Euclid Avenue, or you may pick up a sticker at city hall.
The importance of recycling is less garbage to our landfills, plus it lowers our city’s costs and saves items recycled.
After one places their household items on the curb or at the city’s recycling center, they are then transferred each day to Rockford, where they are sorted by air, magnets and an electronic eye. This amounts to 20 cubic yards that are recycled daily.
The city of Princeton also collects yard waste weekly on Wednesday and Thursday, spring through late fall, which is also recycled. Yard waste bags can be bought at city hall.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency offers to collect tires for recycling two times a year. A tire drop off is set for Oct. 14 at the recycling center on North Euclid Avenue.
We need to care, protect and sustain our environment for our world now and future generations. This starts with each of us doing our part. You can make it happen.
Cans and cartons: Empty and lightly rinse all containers. Flatten cartons/boxes.
• Beverage cartons and boxes (juice, milk, cream).
• Tin, aluminum and steel cans/lids (food and beverage cans (soda, tuna, soup, pet food); aerosol cans (empty).
• Cannot recycle: Foil containers, straws.
Styrofoam: Empty and lightly rinse containers. Secure loose materials like packing peanuts in a plastic grocery bag.
• Cups and plates.
• Egg cartons.
• Foam packing.
• Meat and fruit trays.
• Packing “peanuts).
• Take-out containers.
• Cannot recycle: Containers soaked with food or grease.
Paper/Cardboard: Flatten cartons, boxes. Secure loose material like shredded paper in plastic grocery bags. Cut large boxes small enough to fit loosely inside the cart.
• Cardboard.
• Catalogues.
• Cereal/cracker boxes (remove liners).
• Egg cartons.
• Envelopes
• Gift wrap (no metallic/foil).
• Magazines.
• Mail.
• Newspaper (glossy inserts and advertisements too).
• Office paper (construction paper and printer paper too).
• Paper bags.
• Shoe boxes.
• Shopping bags (remove handles).
• Telephone books.
• Cannot recycle: Carbon paper; padded envelopes; paper soiled with anything such as motor oil, paint or food/grease; paper take-out containers; photographs and photo paper; pizza boxes; thermal fax paper.
Glass: Empty and rinse all containers.
• Brown, clear and green glass bottles and jars.
• Food and beverage containers (soda, wine, mayonnaise).
• Cannot recycle: Ceramics, cookware, drinking glasses, incandescent bulbs, mirrors, windows and blue glass.
Plastics and plastic bags: Empty and lightly rinse all containers. Secure loose plastic bags in a plastic grocery bag.
Plastics: Only items labeled with the Nos. 1-7 inside a chasing arrows symbol or triangle, such as:
• Soda, water, mouthwash and mustard containers.
• Detergent bottles, flower pots, grocery bags, milk jugs, shampoo bottles, spray bottles, yogurt and margarine tubs.
• PVC pipe.
• Squeezable bottles, drying cleaning and bread bags.
• Medicine bottles.
• Egg cartons.
• Large reusable water bottles, juice jugs.
Plastic bags:
• All bread, dry cleaning, fresh produce, grocery and newspaper bags.
• Cannot recycle: Disposable diapers, bubble wrap, compact disks, credit cards, hangers, hoses, pools, shoes, tarps, toys, utensils.
Scrap metals: Clean and dry household metal items.
• Aerosol cans (empty).
• Aluminum foil (clean).
• Appliances (small metal ones like toasters, waffle irons, blenders, etc.).
• Keys.
• Metal lids and caps from glass bottles.
• Paint cans (let residue dry and remove paint).
• Metal pots and pans.
Cannot recycle: Hangers (wood, metal, plastic), hardware (nails, screws, nuts and bolts).
Other items that cannot be recycled are: Boots and shoes, carpet and rugs, disposable diapers, down-filled items, leather, nylon, pillows, rubber, stuffed animals, vinyl and electric blankets.
Chip and Marilyn Huckins are a part of the new Princeton Green Group. Moving to Princeton in June 2007, the couple enjoys the small town life and are also a member of the St. Matthew’s Church Green Team.
