FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 15, 2018
DEP Celebrates America Recycles Day
~Increasing recycling efforts and reducing waste can help Florida reach recycling goals~
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – In recognition of America Recycles Day, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection encourages Florida communities to rethink what they know and reset their recycling behavior to help reduce curbside recycling contamination. By following proper curbside recycling techniques, residents and visitors can reduce contamination coming into recycling facilities, continue to work toward increasing Florida’s recycling rate, and ensure a more sustainable future for the state of Florida
Help reduce curbside recycling contamination by following these tips:
- When it comes to recycling, stick to the basics: plastic bottles, jugs, aluminum, steel cans, paper and cardboard.
- Plastic shopping bags are a major contamination problem at recycling centers, clogging machinery and shutting down operations for hours at a time. Recycle your plastic bags in designated bins at your local retail store.
- Make sure cans, bottles and jugs are clean and dry before going into your curbside recycling bin.
- Cardboard boxes should also be clean and dry before being placed in curbside recycling. Greasy pizza boxes should be placed in the garbage.
- Instead of single-use plastic straws, choose biodegradable or reusable straws. The best option? #SkipTheStraw. Take the pledge and help keep plastic litter our of our landscapes and waterways.
Last year, DEP launched a collaborative statewide recycling education campaign, Rethink. Reset. Recycle., which aims to decrease recycling contamination and encourage proper curbside recycling techniques. The campaign, a joint effort between DEP, the Florida Recycling Partnership, Waste Management, MARPAN, Waste Connections, Single Stream Recyclers, LLC, and several statewide recycling coordinators, was recently awarded the 2018 Sustainability Game Changer Partnership Award from the National Waste and Recycling Association.
DEP’s Recycling Program assists citizens and industry in protecting Florida’s environment by promoting sustainability and waste reduction, providing public outreach and education to avoid contamination and encourage proper disposal techniques, forming partnerships with community groups and stakeholders, and recognizing top recyclers for their environmental stewardship and innovative efforts through DEP’s Recycling Recognition Program.
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