St. Louis's Top Plastic Recycling Locations Revealed

where to recycle plastic in st louis

Recycling plastic is an important way to reduce the negative impact of plastic on the environment. The City of St. Louis offers a range of resources to help residents and businesses recycle their plastic waste effectively. The city provides a residential single-stream recycling service that collects plastic and other recyclable materials from alleys and curbs, making it convenient for residents to recycle. Additionally, St. Louis is home to recycling companies like Always Green Recycling Inc., which offers full-service single-stream recycling for businesses, including plastic recycling. St. Louis City Recycles, a program of the City of St. Louis, also provides information and resources on recycling, including a database of locations to recycle various materials.

Characteristics Values
Website STLCityRecycles.com
Email [email protected]
Phone 314-772-4646
Address 4646 Shenandoah Avenue St. Louis, MO 63110
Twitter @STLCityRecycles
Accepted Materials Paper, cardboard, plastics, metals, beer and wine glass bottles, electronics, hard drives, glass
Unaccepted Materials Needles, syringes, plastic plates, utensils, straws, foam products, shredded paper, gift wrap, plastic bags, plastic toys, dishes, ceramics, pottery, window glass, mirrors, clothing, scrap metal, string/holiday lights, aerosol cans, light bulbs, motor oil bottles, anti-freeze bottles, propane tanks, electronics, batteries

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St. Louis City Recycles

The program provides a searchable database, STLCityRecycles.com, to help residents learn about recycling and find resources. The website offers information on what can be recycled, where to buy recycled goods, and how to dispose of hazardous, bulky, or B.O.A.T. (batteries, oil, appliances, and tires) materials. St. Louis City Recycles also has a Recycling at School initiative, which provides resources for schools, teachers, students, and educators to promote environmental education and recycling in the classroom.

In addition to the city's efforts, private companies like Always Green Recycling, Inc. offer full-service single-stream recycling for businesses in St. Louis. They recycle a variety of materials, including cardboard, metals, plastics, paper, and electronics. They also provide onsite shredding and secure document destruction services.

It's important to note that certain items are not accepted in the recycling program, such as needles, straws, foam products, plastic bags, ceramics, clothing, and electronics. These items can cause safety, operational, and contamination issues if placed in the recycling bins.

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Single-stream recycling services

The City of St. Louis provides a city-wide residential single-stream recycling service. This service uses blue dumpsters and rollcarts to collect recyclable materials from alleys and curbs. Single-stream recycling allows residents to mix all their recyclables, including paper, cardboard, plastics, metals, and glass, into one bin for collection. This convenient method has increased the likelihood and amount of recycling done by residents and improved access for those who cannot use drop-off locations.

Always Green Recycling, Inc. is a full-service single-stream recycling company serving businesses in St. Louis, St. Charles, Metro-East areas, and rural areas in Missouri and Illinois. They provide containers for companies of all sizes to collect their recyclables, which include paper, cardboard, plastics, metals, glass bottles, electronics, and hard drives. They also offer onsite shredding and secure document destruction services.

St. Louis City Recycles is another program that provides information on recycling in the City of St. Louis. Their website, STLCityRecycles.com, offers resources for recycling at home, school, and work, as well as a database of locations to recycle specific items like automotives, batteries, construction materials, electronics, glass, hazardous waste, household items, metal, paint, paper, and plastic.

It is important to note that certain items are not accepted in the recycling and can cause safety, operational, and contamination issues. These include needles, straws, foam products, shredded paper, plastic bags, electronics, and batteries.

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Recycling at home, school, and work

The City of St. Louis provides a range of resources to help residents recycle at home, school, and work. The city offers a city-wide residential single-stream recycling service, making it easy and convenient for residents to recycle. Blue dumpsters and rollcarts are used to collect recyclable materials from alleys and curbs, and residents can also take advantage of the Recycling Pick-Up Service. The city's website, STLCityRecycles.com, is a comprehensive resource for all things recycling in St. Louis. It provides information on what can be recycled, where to buy recycled goods, and how to properly dispose of hazardous or bulky items.

Recycling at home is made simple with the city's five-step process, which can be found on the website. Residents can also learn about the environmental impact of recycling and the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling. Additionally, the website offers a database of locations to recycle specific items like automotives, batteries, construction materials, electronics, and more.

For schools, the website provides recycling resources for teachers, students, and educators. It includes information on how to get classroom recycling bins, start a recycling program at school, and access environmental education books from the Lending Library. By educating students about the importance of recycling and providing the necessary resources, schools can play a crucial role in promoting sustainability.

Recycling at work is also encouraged in St. Louis. The website offers resources for city employees, businesses, nonprofits, and institutions on how to start recycling initiatives in the workplace. It also emphasizes the importance of buying recycled products and provides additional resources for recycling common workplace items like paper, electronics, and plastics. By partnering with recycling companies like Always Green Recycling, Inc., businesses in St. Louis can conveniently recycle cardboard, paper, plastics, metals, and other recyclables through their single-stream recycling services.

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What can and can't be recycled

Recycling allows for the reutilization of materials, reducing the need for new raw materials, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, and minimizing the negative impact on the environment. Recycling practices can vary from country to country and even from city to city, so it's important to be aware of the specific regulations in your area. Here is a general overview of what can and cannot be recycled:

Items that Can Be Recycled:

  • Plastic bottles, such as water bottles, juice bottles, and other drink containers.
  • Plastic food containers, trays, and buckets.
  • Plastic bags, stretch films, and trash can liners.
  • Beverage bottles, shampoo and conditioner bottles, and household cleaning product containers.
  • Cardboard boxes, such as pizza boxes (if they are free of grease and food residue).
  • Aluminum cans, beer and wine glass bottles, and other glass items.
  • Paper (but not all types, see below for what cannot be recycled).
  • Metals, such as cans, tins, and foil.
  • Electronics, hard drives, and batteries.
  • Some types of plastic straws and utensils (though these can be difficult to recycle due to their size).

Items that Cannot Be Recycled:

  • Plastic lids and bottle caps, as they are often made from polypropylene, which cannot be recycled in the same way as the bottles themselves.
  • Takeaway coffee cups, as they are made from composite materials with a polyethylene liner inside a cardboard container, and most recycling plants cannot separate these materials.
  • Paper cups, as they are coated in plastic and cannot be recycled into paper pulp.
  • Paper towels, napkins, paper plates, and tissues, as they come into contact with food waste and grease and cannot be easily cleaned during the recycling process.
  • Paper receipts, as they are printed on thermal paper, which contains bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical that cannot be easily removed during recycling and can contaminate other paper products.
  • Pizza boxes that are heavily soiled with grease, cheese, or food residue.
  • Greasy cardboard takeaway containers, as the grease cannot be easily extracted and may contaminate a batch of recycled pulp.
  • Bubble wrap, as the thin film can get tangled in recycling machines and is lightweight, increasing the likelihood of it becoming airborne and ending up in the ocean.

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Buying goods made from recycled materials

If you live in St. Louis and want to recycle your plastic, you can contact a company such as Always Green Recycling Inc. or Scrap Management. These companies provide recycling services for various materials, including plastic, and can assist you in properly disposing of and recycling your waste.

Now, more than ever, it is important to make conscious decisions about the products we buy and the impact they have on the environment. One way to do this is by buying goods made from recycled materials. By choosing products made from recycled plastic, you are supporting cleaner consumerism and helping to reduce the amount of plastic waste that ends up in landfills.

  • Toys: Green Toys manufactures its products in the US using 100% recycled materials, including recycled milk jugs and yogurt containers. Their toys are safe, eco-friendly, and surpass US and international standards for BPA and phthalate levels.
  • Clothing and Accessories: Rothy's creates ultra-comfortable shoes and handbags from recycled plastic water bottles. Their trademark thread ensures a seamless, waste-reducing fit, and their shoes feature sustainable sole options.
  • Bedding: The Buffy Cloud comforter is made with a BPA-free recycled PET fiber fill, preventing approximately 50 plastic bottles from becoming waste. It features a super-soft eucalyptus fabric outer shell, providing a comfortable and sustainable sleeping experience.

When making purchases, look for products with recycled content and support companies that use recycled plastics. By choosing recycled-content products, you are voting with your dollars to fight climate change and promote environmentally preferable purchasing.

Remember, recycling allows for the reutilization of materials, reducing the need for new raw materials and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. So, the next time you're looking to buy something new, consider choosing a product made from recycled materials to help create a greener future.

Frequently asked questions

The website for St. Louis City Recycles is stlcityrecycles.com.

The email address for St. Louis City Recycles is [email protected].

The phone number for St. Louis City Recycles is 314-772-4646.

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