Plastics Recycling at Eastside
Rinse, sort and bring your plastics to Eastside Food Co-op parking lot
at 2551 Central Ave NE!
Thursdays 3 – 7 pm
Saturdays 10 am – 2 pm
|
Please sort your Clean & Rinsed plastics into the following groups: #1 (PET) Clear #1 (PET) White & Colored Containers #2 (HDPE) Natural (translucent) #2 (HDPE) White & Colored Containers #3 (PVC), #4 (LDPE), #5 (PP), #6 (PS), and #7 (OTHER) can be all mixed together NO FOAM of any kind, even if marked with a recycling or PS symbol. Foam is any plastic with small air bubbles in it. NO prescription bottles -- the volunteer who used to pick them up no longer does -- NO prescription bottles. If you have any questions please call: 612-843-5401 |
Excellent article about plastics in the New York Times:Plastic: Too Good to Throw Away New York Times |
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 FOAM! 
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. Aveda doesn't accept unmarked lids either. What they do accept is rigid plastic caps. Click here to learn more: http://www.aveda.com/aboutaveda/caps.tmpl
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. Here is a brief explanation of the problem. We encourage you to look for places that will accept them for reuse like mission trips, veterinarians, and the humane society.
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.
Q. Where do the sorted plastics go when they leave Eastside?
A. The #1 and #2 plastics are accepted by the City of Minneapolis' recycling contractor that takes the City's curbside necked #1 and #2 bottles. The #3-#7 sort is delivered to Republic Services in north Minneapolis, where it is baled in 1,500 lb. bales and stored until a boxcar load has been accumulated. Then the sort is shipped to a company in St. Cloud that melts down the #3-#7 sort into plastic pellets where are then re-manufactured for low-grade plastic needs such as pallet strapping plastic.
Q. What about other, higher uses of post consumer plastic like the "Gimme 5" program and the Preserve program?
A. We have requested to be considered as a participant in these programs that accept back single stream resins such as #5, but haven't been accepted into any of the national programs at this time. Anytime we are able to find a market for the separated resins, we will gladly alter our sorting procedures in order to provide a higher-quality post-consumer recycled product to manufacturers. The Preserve website is at: http://www.preserveproducts.com/ We sell their toothbrushes and razors.
For more information on recycling in Minneapolis, please contact: SWandRsupervisors@minneapolismn.gov.
