The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment brings a new education campaign aimed at improving recycling and reducing contamination to the City of Edgerton. The “Recycle Right” campaign will provide direct feedback to residents about the materials that shouldn’t be in their recycle bins, for example, glass that can be recycled elsewhere, or Styrofoam that belongs in the trash. By recycling the right way and keeping trash and non-recyclables out of our recycle bins we can all play a part in conserving resources and protecting our environment.
Details
Johnson County Department of Health and Environment staff will be working with Gardner Disposal (your trash and recycling hauler) to go from house to house, doing a quick visual inspection of recycle bins that are placed out at the curb (only recycling not trash). They will then leave a checklist of the items that shouldn’t be in your recycle bin, along with info on how you can get your recycling questions answered. Note: Gardner Disposal will still be picking up your recycling, there is no fine or punishment, this is for education purposes only.
If you do not want to participate in this program and want us to skip your house please contact Brandon Hearn with Johnson County Department of Health and Environment- contact information is listed below.
Why does it matter?
Recycling is important because it saves resources by taking materials and making them into new products instead of using virgin resources. Recycled paper is made into new paper items, aluminum cans are made into new aluminum cans, and so on. When we put things in our recycle bin that don’t belong, they can get caught in equipment at the recycling facility and contaminate the good quality recyclables causing them to go to the landfill instead of being recycled. When we bag our recyclables, all those items end up in the landfill. When recycling programs can’t recycle the materials and must spend money cleaning it up instead, recycling becomes more expensive and recycling programs can’t survive. We can all play a part in cleaning up recycling and keeping usable materials out of the landfill.
When
Weather permitting, Johnson County staff will be surveying Edgerton starting on Wednesday, July 12th. DHE staff will observe this area two weeks in a row. Depending on how quickly they can move through the city this may take two weeks or four weeks total. All you have to do is put out your recycling bin like normal, they will do the rest.
Resources
Follow Johnson County Recycles on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, go to www.jocogov.org/recycling101, and download the Recycle More flier that shows all the things that should and shouldn’t go in your recycle bin.
If you have any concerns or questions about this program you can contact Brandon Hearn, Environmental Health Specialist with Johnson County Department of Health and Environment brandon.hearn@jocogov.org or by phone at 913-715-6936.
