'Think 5' recycling education campaign to focus on top five recyclables

SPOKANE (Scrap Monster): The Utilities Solid Waste Division of Orange County, Florida has launched a new recycling education campaign aimed at raising recycling awareness among residents, which in turn could lead to more recycling. The campaign titled ‘Think 5’ focuses on top five recyclables-plastic, metal, glass, cardboard and paper.

Effective this year, automated single stream curbside collection program was introduced in unincorporated Orange County. As part of the program, the smaller 18-gallon bins were replaced with 95-gallon roll carts with blue lids. Previously residents were required to sort recyclable materials. But the bins with blue lids support single stream recycling, which essentially means that residents could drop off their recyclables without sorting. The new carts offer huge potential to boost recycling rates in the county. However, the success of the program depends very much on the success of the educational campaign.

The ‘Think 5’ education campaign urges households to concentrate on the above mentioned five items. By focusing on these five items, the campaign aims to ensure that more quantities of right material get recycled. The campaign also aims to minimize the amount of wrong materials ending up in the roll cart. ‘Think 5’ calls upon residents to play an important role in reducing waste and conserving environment, by developing good recycling habits. It must be noted that Orange County presently has a recycling rate of 52%, which it targets to raise to as high as 75% in 2020. The campaign is expected to drive the County closer to the target.

The items acceptable by the blue lid-roll cart are Newspapers and advertisements, pasteboard, paper bags, phone books, flattened corrugated cardboard boxes, magazines and catalogs, junk mail, office, writing and note paper, metal cans, glass bottles and jars, aseptic containers and gable-top cartons, empty aerosol cans and plastic bottles and containers labeled #1 to #7.

The materials that are not allowed in the recycling cart include hazardous materials, delivery pizza boxes, food waste, dishes, paper plates, pots, pans, tires, batteries, clothes, carpets, plants, yard waste, hoses, plastic bags, electronics, toys, laundry baskets, juice pouches, shredded paper, EPS, gift wrap, ribbons, bows, hangers and liquids.

Residents must place household garbage items in the roll cart with green lid. The garbage items must be bagged and tied, before being paced in the cart so as to minimize odors and reduce litter. If the odor is more offensive, the residents are required to include double-bagging. In addition, a dryer sheet must be dropped inside the cart. Also, residents must ensure that the cart lid is closed tightly so as to prevent recyclables and odor leaking out of the bins. According to County, residents need to contact the Solid Waste Division for recycling large items such as furniture, appliances, mattresses, automobile tires and rear-projection televisions.

Located in Central Florida, Orange County includes the city of Orlando and a dozen other incorporated municipalities.

As per EPA estimates, Americans generated nearly 254 million tons of trash in 2013. Out of this, around 87 million tons were recycled and composted, thereby producing a recycling rate of 34.3%.