Cass County Sustainability Committee

Recycling Project

The first step the Cass County Sustainability Committee (CCSC) has taken toward its goal of promoting sustainability in Cass County is a recycling project. This project is a partnership between the CCSC and Town & Country Disposal, Inc. made possible with grant funding provided by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) Solid Waste Management District.

CCSC uses the grant funding to provide educational materials focusing on where, how, and why to recycle in Cass County. These materials will be distributed throughout the community by CCSC.

Recycling

• All food containers must be rinsed and contain no food.
• All lids must be removed.
• Boxes must be flattened
• No need to sort materials!

Accepted Materials

No-No List

Below is our hit list of the worst recycling contaminants that must not go in the recycling bin. Please help make single-stream recycling a success by keeping these materials out.

1. No Materials in Bags (except for shredded paper in paper bags)

Workers have to slow the conveyor belts to rip open bags that contain recyclables. If you bring recyclables in bags, empty the materials into the container then take the empty bag home for reuse.

2. No Plastic Lids or Caps

Plastic lids and caps are NOT recyclable on or off the bottle. There is no market for this plastic.

3. No Non-Recyclable Plastics

No Styrofoam or other plastics not listed on the acceptable materials list. There are some plastics that are not recyclable.

4. No Caps or Lids left on Containers

Remove all caps from containers. Metal caps and jar lids can be recycled. Throw plastic caps and lids in trash-they are not recyclable.

5. No PVC Pipes or Plastic Toys

The plastic in PVC pipe and plastic toys is not recyclable.

6. No Liquids

Liquids left in containers contaminate other materials and ruin them for recycling. Please completely empty and briefly rinse all containers before recycling them.

7. No Diapers or Bio-Hazardous Waste

Diapers, syringes, needles, and other sanitary products are not recyclable or compostable

8. No Hazardous Waste

Hazardous waste such as paint, automotive fluids, car batteries, and pesticides must be taken to the Household Hazardous Waste collection events. The containers these products come in are not acceptable for recycling.

9. No Scrap Metal

Scrap metal is not accepted for Single-Stream recycling.

10. No Kitty Litter Bags, Fertilizer Bags, Pesticide Bags, or Plastic Bags

11. No Yard Waste or Construction Materials.

Schedule and Locations

Benefits of Recycling

• Recycling creates local jobs and local tax revenue
• Recycling conserves natural resources
• Recycling saves significant energy and reduces greenhouse gases
• Recycling reduces air and water pollutants
• Less landfill space is required

Simple Things You Can Do To Reduce Solid Waste

• Complete the cycle—buy products made of recycled materials and help provide a market for recyclable materials.
• Buy minimally packaged items.
• Buy products designed for durability. (They are usually less expensive over time.)
• Take your own cloth bag for purchases. Say “no” to plastic bags.
• Take tap water with you in a reusable container instead of buying bottled water.
• Buy reusable products rather than disposable ones.

Single-Stream Recycling

There is no need to sort materials to participate in this recycling program. They will be automatically sorted at the newly opened “single-stream” recycling facility in Harrisonville, Missouri. This is a stream-lined, mechanical method of sorting materials eliminating the need for multiple containers in your home.

The entire system of the Town & Country Disposal, Inc. single-stream recycling facility was built in Missouri.

This recycling program is a partnership between the Cass County Sustainability Committee and Town & Country Disposal, Inc. with grant funding provided by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the
Mid-America Regional Council Solid Waste Management District.