What to recycle: Memphis rules can be confusing, plant limited in what it can take

Published November 29, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Memphis has about a 30 percent recycling rate, and neighborhoods all over the city participate. However, knowing exactly what can and cannot be recycled is still an issue for many avid recyclers.

Andy Ashford, administrator of recycling and composting for the city, says he is no longer surprised by the things people put in their recycling bins.

"I've seen everything from baby doll heads to rocking chairs," he says.

Plastic and cardboard pose the greatest challenge for residents. Some more obvious plastic items like gift cards, balloons and plastic applicators cannot be accepted. Plastic gardening pots and trays technically can be recycled, but Ashford says a stack of 50 wouldn't be considered a typical residential collection.

In general, Ashford asks that residents focus on bottles and containers that are marked No. 1 or No. 2. He says it isn't necessary to remove the plastic tops from bottles, but notes the bottles do compact better without their caps.

Plastic grocery bags pose a major problem in terms of litter and the city's recycling equipment.

"They blow out of the bins, and they are often made of different types of plastic," Ashford notes. He asks that they not be included with the recyclables, even if they are just being used to separate the paper items. Paper should be separated in a paper bag. If that isn't possible, Ashford says to just stack it beside the other recyclables in the bin.

Ashford also asks that plastic bags not be stuffed inside larger No. 1 and No. 2 containers.

"It could cause a problem at the plant. The plastic bags can get wrapped around gears and shut the whole plant down," he said.

East Memphis resident Chloe O'Hearn says she puts any kind of plastic in her bin in the hopes that the city will get the hint and start taking all of it.

"I can never remember which numbers they take, and heard a rumor once that they really do recycle all of it anyways," she says.

Ashford responds that he wishes it wasn't about the public giving them a hint. "I'd rather they follow instructions until further notice," he says. Plastics that are not No. 1 or No. 2 are sorted out at the plant and processed at the landfill.

O'Hearn says it makes her angry that the city doesn't take slightly larger plastic containers, such as cat litter buckets.

"Rigid containers are sometimes too big for the sort lines, which are covered. We aren't set up to handle large bulk items at this time," Ashford explains.

In terms of paper and cardboard, Ashford says paper with staples or glue is fine. Large paper bags (such as charcoal, pet food), which are technically called craft bags, are a gray area. They are bulky and hard to deal with, they don't always fit, and they can have residue.

"I prefer that people not recycle these until we can provide larger collection containers," Ashford says.

Paper towels and napkins are no-nos because they can be contaminated. Ashford also says pizza boxes should be left by the crew. If they aren't, they are sorted out as trash, because of possible contamination. If they are put in with clean office paper, they can contaminate the whole load.

"We prefer not to venture down that road. The people who buy our cardboard expect a certain quality. They will reject it if they see pizza boxes. It's happened before," Ashford said.

Another major issue is big pieces of cardboard that aren't broken down to the size of the recycle bin. Cordova resident William Pearson explains:

"I put a bunch of small boxes out one time, thinking they would take them because they were small enough not to be broken down. They rejected them. The next week, I spent half an hour breaking everything down, and sanitation workers took them with the normal trash."

Ashford says that when the cardboard recycling program started, it wasn't the perfect marriage between the nature of the product and the recycling vehicles available.

"Corrugated cardboard gets stuck in the trucks. That's why we ask people to break it down and cut to size," he says.

"Some homes don't break the boxes down, and they are often mixed with other materials. Some want them picked up by trash trucks, and others want them recycled." Often, it depends on which crew comes first, Ashford explains, and many times, the workers may not know the homeowner's intent.

"It's not a perfect system," he says, "and workers are constantly asked to make a logical and reasonable choice. Some employees don't." He said the next generation of the recycling program will address this issue.

Used food containers and wax-coated cups (Starbucks cups, milk cartons, etc.) are another gray area. Technically, they can be recycled, but Ashford prefers that residents follow the rules and focus on bottles.

Aluminum and metal recyclables pose less of a challenge to residents, but Ashford does specify that wire coat hangers, aluminum foil and aluminum pans are nos.

"Take the hangers back to the cleaners. Aluminum beverage containers are not made from the same material as aluminum foil or pans," he says.

Other miscellaneous "nos" include wine corks, Styrofoam clamshells, Styrofoam cups, light bulbs, batteries and old electronics.

O'Hearn is somewhat put out by the strict recycling rules.

"Paper towels aren't recyclable? Seriously, I put pizza boxes and paper towels in my bin all the time, as long as they aren't really dirty," she says. "Aluminum foil, too. My grandma's recycling in San Diego takes practically everything. We are so behind the times here."

Ashford acknowledges that technology has changed a lot in the 16 years since the city started its program.

"We have a long way to go here," he says, adding that retrofitting the city's recycling plant to a more inclusive single-stream system (no pre-sorting) is a priority.

The cost of waste disposal in a landfill is what drives recycling programs. The cost in Memphis is $23 per ton. In other cities it is as high as $100 per ton.

"Costs drive whether people want to participate. It's not fair to compare us to cities like Portland, Oregon," he says.

Ashford notes that Portland recently went to every-other-week garbage pickup because of the success of the recycling program.

"It's a big step, but maybe we can get there," he says.

Curbside collection has been stagnant for several years at 8 to 10 tons per year. In 2010, the city collected 8,992 tons of recyclables. Ashford anticipates a switch to a single-stream system will increase the numbers dramatically.

"Single stream is less hassle and more convenient," he says.

"We know we need to divert more materials from the landfill and we need to make the program simpler," Ashford says.

However, Pearson doesn't think it's always good when things go to a landfill.

"People should really focus more on the first two R's: reduce and reuse. Recycle comes last because it's the least-efficient method of conservation," he says.

Recycling info

Information: cityofmemphis.org/framework.aspx?page=666

All homes serviced by City of Memphis Solid Waste Management are issued one 18-gallon tan recycling bin, capable of holding one or more weeks' worth of household recyclable material. Recycle only the materials identified in promotional literature and this website.

Curbside recycling collection is every week on the same day as garbage collection.

Recycle the following items

All steel food, beverage and empty aerosol cans are accepted. You can leave the labels and lids attached. Rinsing is recommended, but not required.

All empty aluminum food and beverage cans accepted. Labels are OK, and rinsing is not required.

All empty plastic milk and soda containers and small food containers with the recycling symbol No. 1 PETE or No. 2 HDPE, usually made into the container side or bottom. Remove caps and leave labels attached. Rinsing is recommended.

All empty clear, brown and green bottles and jars are accepted. You can leave labels attached, but remember to remove lids. Rinsing is not required.

All magazines, phone books and clean, dry newspapers with inserts are acceptable. Just put your newspapers, magazines and phone books in paper bag (no plastic bags) and lay the paper bag(s) flat on top of the other mixed items in your bin.

Recycling of corrugated paper or paperboard is available. Some cardboard items, such as pizza boxes, are not acceptable.

White and colored paper, envelopes, manila folders, stationery, notebook paper, sticky notes, etc. Must be in a paper bag.

Place any excess recyclables in paper grocery bags next to your recycling bin at curbside.

Do not use recycling bin for garbage or yard waste.

Unacceptable items will be left in the bin for your disposal. The more you recycle, the more room there is in your green cart and the less trash that goes to landfills.

Do not recycle

Plastic bags, plastic wrap, toys, large buckets, trays or anything with recycling numbers higher than those listed above.