Recycling News

Recycling Right

What is the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District (CCSWD)?

The Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District is the public agency helping the people of Cuyahoga County reduce, reuse and recycle at home, at work and in their communities. They serve as the leading resource in the County for information, expertise and programs that support sustainable materials management and reduce the environmental impact of waste. Visit www.CuyahogaRecycles.org or call (216) 443-3749 to learn how to recycle in your community and discover other recycling and disposal options.

5 Ways to Recycle Right
Done correctly, recycling is an easy way to make a difference in preserving the planet.

1. Leave recyclables loose – not bagged. Plastic bags do not belong in your recycling bin or cart. Plastic bags get tangled in the sorting machines at the recycling facilities and cause major problems for the recycling process. Plastic shopping bags can be recycled at many retail locations, including Giant Eagle, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Marc’s, Target and Walmart stores.
2. Make sure it’s clean and empty. Rinse residue from cartons, containers, bottles and jars or any other recyclable that may contain food particles. For example, greasy pizza boxes are not accepted.
3. Keep it dry. When it comes to paper and cardboard, keeping it dry is imperative for the recycling process. Please flatten all cardboard boxes as well.
4. Don’t wishcycle. Think you can throw everything into your recycling bin and it will get sorted out at the recycling plant? Think again. Recycling only these five core items is paramount: cans, cartons, glass, paper and plastic along with plastic bottles and jugs.
5. Join a social media community. Share a post. Do a story. Get engaged with the social media accounts in your community. You’ll find Cuyahoga County’s accounts located on Facebook, on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Once you’ve got the hang of recycling, you can also learn about various other eco-friendly topics from composting to zero-waste lifestyles. There’s seemingly no end to the ways we can reduce, reuse and recycle for a cleaner and greener today and tomorrow.

April is Earth Month

During the month of April, the Solid Waste District is busy helping people in Cuyahoga County learn how to care for the earth and our environment. Our seven staff members work to empower residents, communities and organizations to manage their waste
responsibly by reducing, reusing, recycling and composting. Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22 around the world to commemorate and demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first held in 1970.

This year, due to the ongoing pandemic, Earth Day celebrations still look a little bit different. We encourage you to get outdoors and help tidy a local park or neighborhood, start a compost pile, share some plastic waste reduction tips with family and friends, or refresh your knowledge of how to recycle right.

Make Every Day Earth Day By Recycling Right

Celebrate the Earth all year long by recycling right. Include only these five items in curbside recycling:

• Cans
• Cartons
• Glass bottles and jars
• Paper and boxes
• Plastic bottles and jugs (and plastic tubs in some communities)

If it’s not one of these five items, it’s considered contamination.

“Don’t be a wishcycler. Recycle right.”

Have you seen our TV spots? In 2020, we launched a new television and digital streaming ad campaign to address recycling contamination in Cuyahoga County. The District’s “Wishcycler” video series was developed by TRG Multimedia to highlight some top items that are placed in recycling by well-intentioned people, with humor from the “experts” at a fictional wishcycling center. See the video series.

Rx Disposal Event on April 24

What do you do with your outdated or unused medications at home? Don’t flush them. Flushing pills down the toilet can be a water quality issue because wastewater treatment plants are not equipped to remove pharmaceuticals from the wastewater.

The DEA will host National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 24 at drop off locations throughout Cuyahoga County. This event aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications. Find a disposal location.

What Do I Do With?…Computers and Electronics

Many of the 59 communities in Cuyahoga County offer year-round collection and recycling of computer equipment to their residents. Some hold seasonal collection events, typically in the spring or fall. Equipment that can be recycled via this program includes desktops, towers, laptops, monitors, keyboards and peripherals, printers, modems, tablets, e-readers, telecom devices, networking equipment, cables, cell phones and video game systems. Televisions are not included. See details.

Tip to Recycle Right: Keep it loose. Recycling should be loose, not bagged, in your recycling cart or bin. Do not put plastic bags in curbside recycling.