Lots of misconceptions exist about recycling. Our FAQS address some of the most common ones, but if you have questions not answered here, feel free to reach out to us.
Why isn't recycling free in our community?
Actually, recycling isn’t free anywhere. There are a ton of costs involved, from rent to human capital to specialized machinery to upkeep/maintenance to fuel and much more. People who live in Denver are paying for all of that with their municipal taxes. Here in unincorporated Jefferson County, CO, no such service exists. That’s why we exist. We need to be just profitable enough to make it all practical and sustainable. But we aren’t in this for the money.
How should I transport my items to you?
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You can collect all of your recycling together, then sort it when you arrive at our recycling centers. But most people find it easiest to purchase several bins to collect their recyclables in a garage or other area. (Used cardboard boxes often work just.) Then when your containers are getting full, load everything up and drop it off. We have different bins and haul-offs labeled for each type of recyclable material.
It’d be so cool if you picked up my recycling curbside. Why don’t you?
Well, it’s not that we don’t want to. We understand curbside pick-up is convenient. It’s just that managing pick up is complicated, and we’re still working through the logistics. Would we like to offer this service in the future? Yes, if we can work it out to be profitable or at least pay for itself. Curbside recycling offered by most waste management companies often doesn’t reliably move waste into an actual recycling stream in many instances. So even though it’s convenient, it’s not always effective if your goal is to reduce how much goes into landfills.
What’s with all the different numbered plastics?
Plastics are numbered based on how they can be recycled. We currently accept plastics labelled 1 and 2. Most plastics are stamped with a “resin identification code.” Plastic stamped with the symbol of a triangle with 1 is polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and plastic stamped with a symbol of a triangle with a 2 is high-density polyethylene (HDPE). These plastics are used in a great amount of packaging, including a huge number of items that most people use everyday. The major soft drink companies (Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, for instance) only use easily recyclable plastic containers in this number range. But some companies that you think would be committed to easier recycling don’t…even some so-called “green” brands. It is very important that we don’t mix other plastics into our recycling stream, as that’s what gets entire loads rejected by recycling processors downstream. This vetting of material when self-recycling through us, vs. curbside recycling through your waste management company, is a key benefit of working with Foothills Recycling. Lastly, please remember that bottle caps must be taken off of bottles. We collect them separately.
Which plastic bags can be recycled?
The simple rule of thumb is this: If you can stretch the plastic by, say, poking a finger into it, then it can be recycled. If you can’t, it’s unfortunately destined for the regular garbage. Most plastic bags, like grocery bags, bread bags and similar, are made with low-density polyethylene (LDPE), which stretches. However, many snack bags–like traditional potato chip, nut or popcorn bags–often are not. If in doubt, it’s easy to test which is which with a quick poke or pull of the plastic.
Is it true that I should not recycle a pizza box?
Today, you can recycle pizza boxes if there is no food stuck to them. Some oil and grease from the pizza is OK. There was a time when this was not the case, but processes have improved to the point that, yes, recycling pizza boxes with Foothills Recycling is acceptable.
Where does my recycling go after I drop it off with you?
We work with a variety of carefully recruited professional organizations and businesses who process materials to begin the journey to being made into useful products, be it new plastic bottles, aluminum packaging, recycled paper, etc. Our goal is for 0% of materials we collect to end up in landfills.
My garbage company offers recycling. It’s so easy. Why work with you?
Your garbage company, if asked, will likely admit that there is a very real chance that some or even a lot of what you put out to your curb for recycling never actually gets recycled. The reasons are complicated, but they have to do with “contamination” inside a larger batch of items. For example, even if you very carefully include only plastics labeled 1 or 2 in your recycling, but your neighbor includes 4 and 5 plastics, when the truck picks it all up and mixes it together your recycling is now contaminated by theirs. Then, it’s likely the entire truckload gets rejected downstream. Contamination of combined loads is much more common situation than many might assume. Since our mission is to keep stuff out of landfills here at Foothills Recycling we go the extra mile to sort and vet recyclables at our facility. We also partner only with downstream vendors who also share our mission and don’t just do “what’s easiest” or most cost effective when handling potentially recycleable materials.
How clean do my recyclable bottles and containers need to be?
Pretty clean, to be honest. Once again, contamination of a larger batch of recyclables is possible when just a few items are particularly dirty. For a beer or wine bottle, a quick rinse might do. But you might need to take a baking spatula to an empty peanut butter jar before putting it in your recycling bin, or run it in your dishwasher.
Do you accept food waste for composting?
We do. And, it’s important to compost your food waste if you care about the environment. Scientists calculate that as much as 10% of all greenhouse gasses generated today are the result of decomposing food waste, much of it rotting in landfills. On-site household composting is challenging in mountain communities due to our abundant wildlife who are attracted to it. Our composting container is locked and animal proof.
I’ve heard recycling uses more energy than just throwing stuff away. Is that true?
The data is sketchy on that. In any case, even if the energy savings might turn out to be insignificant, the benefits of recycling go beyond carbon footprint alone. Landfills leach toxic chemicals and are a blight in themselves. Keeping stuff out of landfills is job #1 for anyone who strives to be conscientious about their environmental impact.