Simply Trying Recycling Guide
This is a collection of the recycling resources I have come across. Please contact me if you have any other great resources to add! Fret not, if you do not live in Oregon as most of these are nation-wide resources.
A great place to start in Oregon is the Oregon Metro Recycling Page. If you do not live in Oregon, check your state or county for similar resources. CURBSIDE RECYCLING Be informed about what you can actually recycle curbside. There may be more options than you think. More importantly, if you add too many items that cannot be recycled, then you risk them throwing everything into the landfill instead. ELECTRONICS Best Buy e-cycles electronics, appliances and cables. You just drop them off at the customer service counter. PLASTIC BAGS Trex collects bags and turn them into decking material. However, it’s not just plastic bags. They take cereal bags,cracker bags, plastic packaging, newspaper bags, dry cleaner bag, plastic wrap from packaging, plastic shipping bags with labels removed, ice bags, bags labeled #2 or #4. Drop them off at Target, Winco or your local school might even have a drop box. BATTERIES & LIGHT BULBS Batteries Plus or IKEA has a collection bin by the exit. STYROFOAM & #6 PLASTIC Agilyx in addition to styrofoam, they also take #6 plastic (which includes solo cups, plastic utensils, and some take-out containers), and CD cases (papers & CDs removed). PLASTIC, FOAM & PAPER PACKAGING This one took me awhile to find, but I was delighted when I finally did. SealedAir offers recycling for a variety of packaging materials that are otherwise very difficult to recycle. CDs & DVD There is no facility in Oregon to recycle CDs, but you find out where to mail to CD Recycling Center of America. Cork ReCORK has drop boxes for your wine corks (or other cork products, though I cannot think of what those might be - maybe IKEA coasters?). CLOTHES & SHOES Items in good condition should be donated, however, once something is worn out, clothes and shoes can be recycled. There is a GAIA has a drop box at Happy Valley Station which will donate or recycle clothes. I have also seen them throughout Portland. H & M also offers textile recycling bins and they will give you a 15% off coupon for future purchases. LAUNDRY DETERGENT BOTTLES Go to Terra Cycles Fabric Care Recycling page to help you locate free laundry bottle recycling (caps too!). |
EVERYTHING ELSE
Terra Cycle offers many free recycling programs. They have partnered with companies such as Colgate, Burts Bees, Herbal Essences, Go Go Squeeze, etc…to recycle their products for free. They also offer boxes you can buy to recycle anything else you can think of. |