Plastics Recycling at Eastside
Rinse, sort, save and bring your plastics to Eastside Food Co-op!
Thursdays 3 – 7 pm
Saturdays 10 am – 2 pm
CLEAN & RINSED:
#1 – separate clear from color
#2 – separate natural from color
#3 #4 #5 #6 #7
NO FOAM
NO prescription bottles
In the parking lot at
2551 CENTRAL AVENUE NE
www.eastsidefood.coop
612-788-0950
RECYCLABLE PLASTICS MUST BE SORTED BY NUMBER, CLEAN & RINSED!
Frequently Asked Questions for the Plastics Recycling Program
Q. What plastics can be recycled in this Pilot Program?
A. Any plastic labeled #1 through #7 EXCEPT prescription bottles and foam.
Look for the numbers inside the recycling logo triangle.
Separate clear from colored containers
They are worth more when clear is separated from colored.
Separate natural from colored containers
They are worth more when natural is separated from colored.
(PVC) 
– NO prescription bottles 
– NO STYROFOAM! 
Q. Why don’t you accept foam? It’s marked with a #6 PS.
A. Foam is EXPANDED Polystyrene (EPS), and it behaves differently than Polystyrene in re-processing, so we cannot accept foam. There are machines that can reprocess EPS, but none available for the post consumer market in the Twin Cities at this time.
Q. Why don’t you accept unmarked lids? I’ve heard that Aveda does?
A. We’ve heard that Aveda does too, but we don’t have the capacity right now to sort lids and take them to Aveda. We encourage our patrons to participate in Aveda’s program independently of this program.
Q. Why don’t you accept prescription bottles? They are marked with a #5. I’ve heard the Humane Society takes them – why don’t you?
A. Even our recycler doesn’t know why prescription bottles are a recycling no-no, but they are. We can’t take them. We’ve heard that the Humane Society re-uses prescription bottles. The labels must be soaked off, the bottles must be thoroughly cleaned and dried, and they must be delivered to the Humane Society with the lids intact. We encourage our patrons to do that independently of this program.
Q. Why is sorting plastics so important? Why can’t I just toss unmarked plastics that look like marked plastics into the bins?
A. There are actually hundreds of combinations of plastic resins used in packaging. A contaminated sort could be refused by a recycler, and they could stop working with us altogether if we can’t keep our sorts clean enough to be marketable..
NO UNMARKED LIDS – NO UNMARKED PLASTICS – NO EXCEPTIONS
Q. Your hours aren't convenient for me. Can I just leave my plastics at Eastside when it works for me?
A. No. We need to insure a clean sort, and, although we post what we can accept, people frequently bring other plastics, unmarked plastics, dirty plastics, foam or prescription bottles that we can’t accept. Health code prohibits us from accepting plastics inside, and when people drop them off in the parking lot, the bags blow open, scattering litter. Unauthorized drop-offs have tended to be unrinsed, which means they are just trash. Please drop off ONLY Saturdays 10 am to 2 pm and Thursdays 3 to 7 p.m.
Q. Who sponsors this program and how long will it run?
A. This Plastics Recycling Program is a partnership between the City of Minneapolis, Eastside Food Co-op and Republic Services. Post-consumer plastics recycling is a very dynamic, frequently changing market. We do our best to keep on top of those changes.
For more information on recycling in Minneapolis, please contact: susan.young@ci.minneapolis.mn.us.
