Maya Ellison
Pensacola, Florida, is known for its recycling program, which was intended to be self-funded, with any additional profits offsetting the cost of standard trash collection and disposal. However, the city has faced challenges with wishcycling, where people throw items into recycling bins that cannot be recycled, such as electronics and dirty pizza boxes. This issue has made an already costly process even more challenging. While almost all plastic in the US ends up in landfills, some residents of Pensacola are committed to continuing to recycle. Grocery stores like Winn-Dixie, Four Winds, Publix Super Market, and Wal-Mart Supercenter have marked containers and accept plastic bags for recycling. Additionally, an automated can recycling machine located in front of Crazy Jim's Parade Service Station and Towing accepts cans, weighs them, crushes them, and pays 30 cents per pound. Outside the city limits, residents can drop off their recyclables with friends or use the county's drop-off sites.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Plastic Recycling for Money in Pensacola, FL | Yes, there is a recycling center with an automated can recycling machine located street-side in front of Crazy Jim's Parade Service Station and Towing, across the corner from both the Tom Thumb and Circle K gas stations. The machine weighs the cans, crushes them, and gives you 30 cents per pound. |
| Plastic Recycling in Grocery Stores | Some grocery stores in Pensacola, FL, such as Winn-Dixie, Four Winds, Publix Super Market, Wal-Mart Supercenter, and Target, have marked containers and accept plastic bags for recycling. |
| Other Recycling Options | There are also options for recycling cardboard, metal, and other materials in Pensacola, FL. For example, there are large blue bins for cardboard at the Perdido dump near Beulah, and scrap metal can be taken to a scrap yard. |
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What You'll Learn
Plastic bottle recycling for money
Plastic bottle recycling is an important way to reduce waste and help the environment. While it can be difficult to process plastic for recycling, there are still ways to recycle plastic bottles for money in Pensacola, Florida.
One option is to take your plastic bottles to a recycling center. There are several recycling centers in Pensacola that accept plastic bottles and other materials. These centers will often pay you for your recycled goods, although the amount they give you may be less than the market value. For example, there is an automated can recycling machine located street-side in front of Crazy Jim's Parade Service Station and Towing, which will give you 30 cents per pound of cans.
Another option is to recycle your plastic bottles through a grocery store. Some grocery stores in Pensacola, such as Winn-Dixie, Four Winds, Publix Super Market, and Wal-Mart Supercenter, have marked containers and accept plastic bags for recycling. Some stores may also accept other types of plastic bottles, so it is worth checking with your local stores to see what their policies are.
Additionally, you can check with your county or city government to see if they have any drop-off sites or programs for recycling plastic bottles. For example, the City of Pensacola has a drop-off site for some materials, and the county has several.
It is worth noting that while recycling plastic bottles is important, it is even better to reduce your use of single-use plastics in the first place. This can be done by using reusable bags, avoiding products packaged in plastic, and choosing alternatives such as aluminum cans, which are more cost-effective and reusable.
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Recycling for cash at grocery stores
Pensacola, Florida, has ended its recycling program, which means that there are no longer recycling cans or curbside recycling. However, there are still some options for recycling certain materials, including plastic, for money.
Some grocery stores in Pensacola provide marked containers for recycling plastic bags and accept other hard-to-recycle materials like styrofoam. These include:
- Winn-Dixie (7135 N 9th Avenue, Pensacola, Fl 32504 and 4751 Bayou Boulevard, Pensacola, Fl 32503)
- Four Winds (6895 N 9th Avenue, Pensacola, Fl 32504)
- Publix Super Market (5055 N 9th Avenue, Pensacola, Fl 32504 and 1100 E Cervantes Street, Pensacola, Fl 32501)
- Wal-Mart Supercenter (2650 Creighton Road, Pensacola, Fl 32504)
- Target (4711 Bayou Boulevard, Pensacola, Fl 32503)
In addition to these grocery stores, there is an automated can recycling machine located street-side in front of Crazy Jim's Parade Service Station and Towing, which pays 30 cents per pound of cans.
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Curbside recycling
The ECUA uses a single-stream recycling system, which means that customers put all their recyclables into a single grey can, with no sorting required. An ECUA recycling truck then delivers the recyclables to a processing facility for sorting. It is important that only acceptable items are placed in the grey recycling can.
The City of Pensacola uses two large metal containers for cardboard only. Cardboard boxes must be broken down and placed through the slots on the sides of the containers. A third container is used for other recyclable materials. Typical materials accepted are glass, aluminium, plastics 1-2, cardboard, and newspaper.
While it is not possible to recycle all types of plastic in Pensacola, clear plastic bottles can be recycled.
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Scrap metal recycling
One popular option is to take your scrap metal to a local scrap yard. There is a scrap yard on the west side of Highway 29, just north of the interstate, that accepts metal for recycling. You can also recycle metal at some recycling centers in the area. These centers will typically pay you for your scrap metal, and you can also recycle other materials like cardboard and plastic there.
Some grocery stores in Pensacola also have marked containers for recycling plastic bags. These stores include Winn-Dixie, Four Winds, Publix Super Market, Wal-Mart Supercenter, Target, and more. Additionally, stores like Publix have bins for hard-to-recycle materials like plastic bags and styrofoam.
It's important to separate your recyclables and follow the rules for what can go in each bin. Mixed-stream recycling can detract value from recycled goods and make the process more costly and unmanageable.
While recycling is a great way to reduce waste, it's important to note that not all materials are equally cost-effective to recycle. For example, aluminum and glass are more economically viable to recycle than plastic, which is cheap to produce and difficult to process for recycling.
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Recycling at dumps
The City of Pensacola provides large metal containers for recycling cardboard and other recyclable materials. Cardboard boxes must be broken down and placed through the slots on the sides of the containers.
Although Florida permits the disposal of compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) in the garbage, it is recommended to place the bulbs in two plastic bags, seal them, and put them in the outside trash for the next trash collection. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends taking advantage of local CFL recycling options, as CFLs discarded in the trash may break and release mercury into the environment. Virtually all components of a CFL can be recycled and reused.
For broken CFLs, the EPA recommends ventilating the room, removing people and pets, and waiting 15 minutes or more before cleaning up. On hard surfaces, carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard, and place them in a sealed glass jar or plastic bag. Use sticky tape to pick up any remaining fragments, and wipe the area with damp paper towels or wet wipes, placing these in the jar or bag as well. For carpeting or rugs, carefully pick up the glass fragments and place them in a sealed jar or bag, then use sticky tape to pick up any remaining fragments and powder. If vacuuming is necessary, remove and seal the vacuum bag or empty and wipe the canister, placing the contents in a sealed bag.
Any clothing or bedding that comes into direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder should be discarded without washing, as mercury fragments may contaminate the machine or pollute sewage. However, clothing or materials exposed only to mercury vapour can be washed. If shoes come into direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder, wipe them off with damp paper towels or wet wipes, and place these in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal. Place all cleanup materials outdoors in a trash container for the next trash pickup, and wash your hands afterward.
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Frequently asked questions
There is a recycling center in Pensacola, Florida, that has an automated can recycling machine located street-side in front of Crazy Jim's Parade Service Station and Towing. The machine takes in cans, weighs them, crushes them, and gives you 30 cents per pound.
Yes, there are other recycling centers in Pensacola, Florida, but they do not specify whether they accept plastic or offer money in return.
Yes, some grocery stores in Pensacola, Florida, have marked containers that accept plastic bags for recycling, but it is unclear whether you can get money in return. Additionally, some people in Pensacola, Florida, have reported dropping off their recyclables at their friends' places outside the city limits or at the city's drop-off site for some materials. It is worth noting that recycling in Pensacola, Florida, is facing some challenges, and it is recommended to separate bins for different materials and follow the rules on what can go in the bins. Furthermore, certain materials like cardboard can be taken to the Perdido dump near Beulah, which has large blue bins in the parking lot of the admin area near the entrance.
