Aiken is home to some of the most dependable recyclers. Our resident’s efforts benefit both the environment and our local economy by recycling their plastic, paper, cardboard, glass, and metal cans.
The City of Aiken is encouraging everyone to be aware of what items to recycle and what items don’t qualify.
One item in particular that the City wants to put emphasis on that does NOT qualify are single-use plastic bags (grocery bags, etc..), which cause many problems with recycling equipment. The bags bend easily and end up getting in places they’re not supposed to be causing the machinery to be shut down and cleared out by hand. When this item is placed in the recycling container, it results in downtime, extra labor, and higher recycling costs. As a result, the plastic bags end up in the landfill with household garbage after being removed from the recycling stream. Throwing them away with the household garbage is preferred over putting them in the City’s recycling roll carts.
If residents choose to recycle single-use plastic bags, PLEASE drop them off at a local grocery store.
No matter what, we should all keep recycling, and always recycle correctly.
Can Recycle
These items should be placed in your recycling roll cart:
Aluminum and steel cans
Newspaper, magazines, inserts, catalogs, phone books, office paper, brown paper bags, pasteboard-such as cereal boxes (remove inner plastic), cardboard, gift boxes, and food boxes
Glass bottles and jars, any color
Plastics #1 and #2 jugs, jars and bottles
Plastic caps
Cannot Recycle
These items should be placed in your garbage roll cart:
Aerosol cans
Light bulbs, plate glass, mirrors, ceramics, dishes or windowpanes
Waxed cardboard and waxed frozen food boxes
Plastic containers that have previously contained hazardous household waste, such as bug killer
Styrofoam (packaging, food containers and cups)
Single use plastics such as grocery bags, plastic wraps, etc.
