Recycling guide

Recycling has a big impact in the Inland Northwest.

Suzanne Tresko, recycling coordinator for Spokane Regional Solid Waste System, said Spokane County residents, businesses and industries recycled more than 400,000 tons of materials in 2005 – everything from soda cans to a set of streetcar rails found under a downtown street during construction.

Curbside recycling service is available in Spokane, Spokane Valley, Coeur d’Alene and other communities.

If you’re not in the habit of recycling, but want to start, today might be the day.

Below are examples of some common household items that can be recycled, and a bit of information about what happens to them after you throw them in the blue bin.

Some products can be dropped off at area recycling companies or transfer stations for free, and some things, such as aluminum cans and newspaper, you can even get paid for. Some facilities charge a small fee to dispose of certain items to help cover costs.

Why pay someone else to take your garbage? “We let people talk themselves into that,” said Jim Schrock, owner of Earthworks Recycling in Spokane.

This is not a comprehensive list, and because recycling is a complex and ever-changing market, conditions are subject to change. If you have questions, Spokane County’s recycling hotline is (509) 625-6800; in Kootenai County, call (208) 446-1430.

Aluminum cans

Where to take them: Cans can be recycled in curbside bins or at transfer stations, and most recycling facilities will pay cash for them.

Where they end up: Aluminum is basically melted down and reshaped, said Willie Lampe of Spokane Recycling Products, the company that handles much of the recyclable materials from Spokane County (Kootenai County’s materials are handled by Bluebird Recycling, which is affiliated with Spokane Recycling). The heat required to melt the aluminum removes most impurities and bacteria. Lampe said much of the aluminum from Spokane is sold to Anheuser-Busch to be made into beer cans.

Aluminum foil can’t be recycled with cans, but some facilities, including Earthworks, will accept it if it’s clean and free of food residue.

Batteries

All household batteries can be disposed of through local recycling programs, but only rechargeable batteries, such as nickel-cadmium and lithium-ion types, are actually recycled.

Where to take them: Household batteries can be placed in a sealed bag in curbside bins or can be taken to transfer stations. (Car batteries can also be recycled – they can be taken to Spokane County transfer stations, and some recycling companies will take them as well.)

Where they end up: Rechargeable household batteries, including those used in cell phones and other electronics, from Spokane County are sent to the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation, an Atlanta-based nonprofit. Specialized equipment is used to extract nickel, iron, cadmium and other metals from the batteries for reuse.

Alkaline (nonrechargeable) batteries are not recycled. Tresko said the batteries are sent to a hazardous waste landfill in Arlington, Ore., for disposal.

Craig Lorch, co-owner of Total Reclaim, a Seattle company that recycles a variety of electronic waste, said there are facilities that recover magnesium and other metals from alkaline batteries, but the process is cost-prohibitive. Mercury was once used in batteries, but federal regulations now prohibit it, he said.

Boxes/packing material

Where to take it: Corrugated cardboard can be included in curbside recycling bins if it is cut down to a manageable size and bundled (call your waste disposal company for details), or can be taken to transfer stations. Recycling companies will pay for cardboard, and good-quality moving boxes can often be resold.

Where it ends up: Waste cardboard is pulped and cleaned of foreign objects and impurities such as ink and glue. The pulp is then remade into linerboard, which can be made into more corrugated cardboard.

Earthworks, along with some moving companies, resells moving boxes and packing materials, including Styrofoam packing peanuts and bubble wrap.

Computers/electronics

Computers, monitors, televisions and other electronics contain a number of potentially toxic substances.

Where to take them: Several recycling companies will accept old computers and electronics, some for a fee. Earthworks will also accept CDs, DVDs and old software (the plastic can be recycled).

Where they end up: The components are typically sent to third-party companies where they are dismantled. The glass in television tubes and cathode ray tube computer monitors contains lead, which must be removed using specialized equipment.

Much of the computer equipment recycled in Spokane goes to Total Reclaim in Seattle. Lorch said that a number of materials can be recovered from old computers. Plastic and steel from the structures are recycled locally. The lead-containing glass is sent to companies in Brazil and Indonesia to be used in the production of new CRTs. Circuit boards go to Europe, where specialized equipment is used to extract lead, copper, gold, palladium and other metals.

Some companies, including Recycle Techs in Spokane Valley, refurbish computer equipment for resale after deleting all data from the hard drives.

Fluorescent bulbs

Compact fluorescent bulbs are becoming more popular because they last longer and use less electricity than conventional incandescent bulbs. However, like all fluorescent lights, they contain mercury. Tresko said that the bulbs can safely be thrown away with other trash (if they come from a residence), but environmental advocates say the bulbs should be treated as hazardous waste and recycled.

Where to take them: The bulbs can be dropped off for free at any Spokane County transfer station. Some recycling companies will accept the bulbs for a fee.

Where they end up: Recycled bulbs are sent to Total Reclaim in Seattle. Compact fluorescent bulbs have an electronic ballast in the base that must be removed in a controlled environment to prevents mercury from escaping, Lorch said. The remaining glass tubes are placed in another machine where they are crushed; the glass is then separated from the mercury-containing powder (this machine also has a filtration system to contain the mercury). The glass is reused in the production of concrete, and the powder is sent to another facility in Canada where the mercury is extracted for reuse. Electronic components from the ballast are also recycled, Lorch said.

Glass

Where to take it: Glass bottles and food containers can be recycled in curbside bins in Spokane and Spokane Valley (but not in Coeur d’Alene or Post Falls), or can be taken to transfer stations. Glass is accepted at many recycling facilities.

Where it ends up: Lampe said that most of the glass they take in goes to a facility in Calgary where it is ground into a fine sand. The sand is then sent to Edmonton to be used in the production of fiberglass. Lampe said that clear and green glass is best for this process; brown glass gets sent to Portland to be made into beer bottles.

Junk mail

In addition to those flyers, catalogs and other solicitations you get in the mail, this category also includes cereal boxes, six-pack containers and other paperboard.

Where to take it: Known more commonly as “mixed waste paper,” these lower-grade materials are accepted at several area recycling companies (some charge a fee for this service).

What happens to it: Mixed-waste paper can be recycled into a variety of paper products, from cereal boxes to drywall, said Jim Schrock of Earthworks.

Newspaper

Where to take it: Newspaper can be recycled curbside or at transfer stations, and almost all recycling facilities will pay cash for it. Some nonprofits, including the Lions Club, collect and recycle newspapers to raise money.

Where it ends up: Lampe said that almost all of the newspaper recycled locally goes to Inland Empire Paper (a subsidiary of the Cowles Co., which also owns The Spokesman-Review) to be recycled into more newsprint. Newsprint is turned into pulp, then run through a decontamination process to remove ink and other impurities. The pulp is then milled into more paper. The newsprint used in The Spokesman-Review contains 40 percent recycled materials.

Office paper, magazines and other higher-grade papers are recycled via a similar process.

Schrock said that in addition to producing more newsprint, recycled newspaper can also be used to make egg cartons and the fruit packaging you see at the grocery store.

Plastic

Generally, the only plastics that can be recycled for consumer use are code 1 (used in bottles for soda and other beverages) and code 2 (used in milk jugs). Typically, only the uncolored code 2 plastic is accepted, but some places will take certain colored containers as well.

Where to take it: Plastics can be recycled curbside or at transfer stations or can be taken to some recycling companies, sometimes for a fee.

Where it ends up: Plastic is melted down and recast in a process similar to aluminum, Lampe said. Recycled plastic is used in a wide range of products, from food containers to building materials.

Printer cartridges

Where to take them: There are numerous ink cartridge and office supply stores in the region, including OfficeMax and Staples locations, that will accept spent cartridges. They can also be taken to Earthworks.

Where they end up: Ink cartridges are refilled and resold, usually at a lower price than new cartridges. Various industry Web sites indicate that the cartridges can be recycled about 10 times. Once they’ve reached the end of their useful life, the plastic and metal contained in the cartridges can be recovered and recycled for industrial use, said Savanna Schrock of Earthworks.