Lafayette residents are encouraged to 'geaux green' for America Recycles Day on November 15.
Lafayette Consolidated Government is asking for residents to follow recycling guidelines and best practices to ensure that only recyclable materials are placed in carts.
"Residents may not realize that non-recyclable or contaminated items that are put into their recycling cart may cause the whole truckload to be trashed. A little guidance on how to recycle right ensures that their cart is collected and all the material gets recycled properly."
According to Foret, another common issue is plastic bags in the recycling carts. "Recyclables need to be placed directly into the cart, not bagged. Plastic bags are often caught in the machinery, causing a halt to the entire recycling process to untangle the bags."
LCG says that to prevent contamination all recyclables should be emptied, cleaned, dried and loose (not bagged) before being placed in recycling carts.
Items being accepted for recycling include:
- Paper and Cardboard - All sorts of paper can be recycled including hardback books, magazines, paper bags, and construction paper, etc. Cardboard can be recycled as long as it is not saturated with food or grease such as pizza boxes.
- Aluminum and Tin Cans - In general, all aluminum cans are accepted for recycling. Residents are asked to rinse out all food and liquids, especially sodas and juices. Keeping food and liquid out of the recycling carts helps prevent pests and ensures the material can be processed correctly.
- Plastic Bottles and Jug - The easiest way to keep track of what plastics are acceptable is by the shape - bottle-shaped plastics are accepted. This includes larger bottles such as milk jugs and tea pitchers. Lids kept on the bottle are preferred, but without is also acceptable. Do not get confused by the numbers on plastic items and stick to the shape as a guide.
In Lafayette, carts with light blue lids are designated for recycling. Carts with black or dark blue lids are for garbage.
Residents in the unincorporated areas of Lafayette Parish can drop their recycling at 102 BJ Services Road in Lafayette.
For more information on the recycling efforts, click here, and here.
The parish's bi-annual Household Hazardous Waste Day is scheduled for December 14 at Cajun Field.
