Column: Randy Tuchtenhagen, Solid Waste Officer

With the holiday season upon us, I am still pushing the same old reuse, reduce waste and recycle theme. So this will not be a boring repeat of past years, I promise to give you some additional things to consider, not just now, but all year long.

When you throw any item into the trash can, whether recyclable or not, it will be taken to a landfill and buried. I can say this with confidence as all haulers in Freeborn County must obtain a permit from my office annually and report where they disposed of their loads.

All our trash goes to a landfill in Lake Mills, Iowa, or to the Steele County landfill in Bixby. Once at the landfill the loads are compacted with a dozer, covered with soil and will remain so until someone figures out how to make energy or something else from these buried resources. There is no sorting or separating of our garbage.

Remember my rule of thumb phrases for recycling? If the paper or cardboard item came from the refrigerator or freezer it cannot be recycled. If it came from the pantry or cupboard, recycle it. The refrigerator items are wax coated preventing them from being recycled. And the answer to recycling caps and lids from bottles is yes! That includes lids from butter, mayo, soda, ketchup, salad dressing, etc.

You can recycle gift-wrapping paper, except the clear plastic stuff, and don’t worry about the tape or glue. It would be nice if you take the time to remove them, but it’s not a huge issue. All those greeting cards, envelopes, name tags, boxboard/brownboard containers, yes, yes, yes, recycle them all.

Sometimes pizza is an easy food for a large group. Looking at our Recycling Instructions it says “no pizza boxes.” It is referring to the wax coated boxes that came from the freezer. If you have a corrugated pizza box that is not grease or food stained, by all means, recycle it.

Tin markets are fantastic right now, and recycling food cans and even aerosol cans are highly desirable. Be sure aerosols are empty and remove the nozzle and lid. When you finish a paint job, remember to recycle the empty paint cans. They do not need to be perfectly clean, just wiped out. Recycle the lids, too.

Styrofoam plates, cups and plastic silverware sound easy and convenient, but there are other concerns. It is never recommended that you heat or microwave anything plastic (Styrofoam is plastic) and some plastic eating utensils are so lightweight and cheap they could be dangerous, especially to kids. Using ceramic or glass and washing dishes is preferred for healthy eating and no exposure to leaching chemicals.

Have a merry Christmas and greetings to all.

Randy Tuchtenhagen is the solid waste officer for Freeborn County.