Not Recyclable

Originally published Mar 28/18 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop.

The number of bags or boxes of recyclables that arrive at the Recycling Centre with very little or no garbage is steadily increasing. This is very helpful.

There is still a lot of garbage. The two garbage dumpsters at the Recycling Centre are emptied twice a week. Sometimes they overflow. Larger non-recyclable items left at the Centre are taken to the landfill.

Several non-recyclable items consistently appear because people don’t realize they are not recyclable.

Here is a list of the most common ones.

1. Plastic bags and food bags. This includes shopping bags, vegetable and bread bags, pet food bags, sugar bags, liners from cereal or frozen pizza boxes. Film plastic is anything that changes shape without much effort. It is not recycled in our community.
2. Number six plastics.  This is any plastic with a number 6 inside the recycling symbol or the letter ‘s’ below it. Common items include snap apart single serving yogurt containers and disposable drinking cups that are not completely clear. Clam shells/plastic covers for baking may be number six. They are usually more brittle than the number one containers.    
3. Mixed material containers.  Examples are laminated paper, collage are projects, padded envelopes, cans made of cardboard and metal such as Pringle containers and many coffee cans.
4. Coffee Cups.  Most have waxes mixed in the cardboard which makes them not recyclable.
5. Aluminum foil items such as pie pans. There are other materials mixed in the aluminum.
6. Styrofoam.
7. Small household appliances.  Microwaves are the only recyclable appliance.
8. Photographs, Cd’s, video tapes.  
9. Non-fluorescent light bulbs.

​If you are not sure if something is recyclable, please call (204) 687-6169.