Jack-o-lanterns bearing sinister smiles of sharp teeth devolved into old men without dentures as pumpkins shriveled in the days after Halloween. Colorful displays celebrating autumn, harvest and Thanksgiving still grace local yards and front doors with every variety of (uncut) pumpkin, squash and gourd. The southeast corner of the Keep Alliance Beautiful Recycling Center always reminds me of that “most sincere pumpkin patch” Linus searches for in vain. The space is where we “grow and harvest” an ever-growing crop of Hefty Energybags.
I do not relish looking too far ahead this time of year as everything seems to shift into a higher gear – Advent will begin the official countdown to Christmas soon. It is beneficial, at KAB, however, to consider data regarding current recycling trends in preparation for 2023.
It remains to be seen whether the recycling center will “gain weight” overall by the end of this year compared to 2021. Volumes through the first three quarters (January to September) of 2022 trail the previous year’s tally by just six tons – 596,656 versus 585,017 pounds. The most consistent and impressive growth has been in the plastics that fill our 55-gallon orange bags.
When we began collecting and weighing these hard-to-recycle plastics during the second half of 2019, KAB recorded 1,574 pounds. The pace more than doubled in 2020 with 6,519 pounds of orange bags, followed by 8,074 last year and 11,301 pounds baled over the first three quarters of 2022.
The Hefty Energy Bag Program allows KAB to recycle items that were not accepted before or may have been problematic to bale due to size. Flexible plastic and undersize containers/products without a number are generally accepted, including: plastic grocery bags, juice pouches, cake mix liners, potato chip bags, plastic meat and cheese packaging, foam and plastic cups and plates, dog and cat food bags, candy wrappers, straws and stirrers, spent pens and markers, plastic bottle caps, toothpaste tubes, condiment packages, disposable razors (without blades), single serve coffee pods.
The majority of what the recycling center staff stuffs into the large, bright bags is loose in our trailers’ No. 1-7 plastics bins. We encourage our patrons who use the trailers, as well as people on curbside routes or who prefer to drive up, to group Hefty items into a separate bag. Your sorting is appreciated and saves us considerable time. There has been discussion of adding a new container just for these materials by our trailers in Alliance at Second and Cheyenne. The following are not accepted in orange bags: batteries or electronics; food, liquid or coffee grounds; cans, glass or plastic bottles; No. 1, 2 or 3 plastic; paper cartons or boxes; medical products or hazardous waste; hoses, tubes or rope; foil or aluminum.
Educating residents about what qualifies for an orange bag is more difficult than some materials, such what to keep out of the glass or aluminum can bins. Yet, more of our regular recyclers are gathering these plastic that we would have pulled out and tossed not too long ago. I started at KAB not too long after we began participating in the Hefty program. Then, we filled gaylord boxes with Styrofoam, grocery bags and everything else. Later, we began to bale the same mix and continue to learn exactly how to stuff the bags best. Everything goes into the official Hefty bags, for instance. Large slabs of Styrofoam that had been sandwiched between are now broken down to fit.
I predict ongoing growth in gathering stuffing for our king-size pumpkins. So far this year, KAB has processed a little over one pound of orange bag filling for every three pounds of No. 1-7 plastic. We are partnering with local schools to educate students about how to participate in the Hefty Energybag Program. Emerson Elementary turned in dozens of bags to start. We will gather more from Little Angels preschool this week then work with Grandview Elementary.