News Flash

Republic Services Encourages Residents to Celebrate 

Earth Day by Improving Recycling Habits

Ellisville residents should always recycle aluminum

 and tin cans, plastic bottles and paper products

Republic Services, a leader in recycling and environmental services, is helping customers recognize Earth Day on April 22 with important recycling reminders. 

Sixty-five percent of more than 2,000 Americans¹ surveyed credited the pandemic with helping them make more sustainable choices, especially related to recycling. Despite this, 26 percent said they still lacked an understanding of what can and cannot be recycled. 

According to survey data, consumers are still confused about several recycling basics: 

• Forty-three percent believe plastic bags can be recycled in curbside recycling bins.
  1. Plastic bags require special handling and should be returned to local grocers and retailers. Never recycle plastic bags at home. 
• Thirty percent believe foam products are recyclable.
  1. Foam products should not be recycled. 
• Thirty-five percent think it is OK to recycle containers with small amounts of food residue. 
  1. Food residue makes items unrecyclable. It’s important to clean out your items before recycling them. 
• Sixty-two percent bag their recyclables at home. 
  1. Bags make it impossible to know what’s inside them, which is a safety hazard, and they can jam recycling sorting equipment. You should never bag your recyclables. 

“The Republic Services team processes 6 million tons of recyclables every year, so we know that our customers care about the environment and want to do the right thing,” said Joell Aguirre, Municipal Manager with Republic Services. “In Ellisville, one of the simplest steps people can take is to learn how and what to recycle, which will help our community be more sustainable and protect the environment for generations to come.”

When recycling, Ellisville residents should remember three simple things: 

1. Know what to throw – Generally,  aluminum and tin cans, plastic bottles, milk jugs, cardboard boxes and paper products and glass can be recycled. 
2. Empty. Clean. Dry.™ – Make sure containers are free of food or other residue. Take a few moments to rinse and dry items before tossing them in your recycling bin.
3. Don’t bag it – Never bag your recyclable items. Just throw them in the bin loose. 

Republic Services provides recycling tips and more at RecyclingSimplified.com.

For more information about how customers can bring Earth Day into their everyday,  visit www.republicservices.com/earthday and use #earthdayeveryday to join the conversation.