LCG Offers Recycling Tips In Celebration Of America Recycles Day, November 15

Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG) invites citizens to ‘geaux green’ for America Recycles Day. Held each year on November 15, America Recycles Day is an initiative of Keep America Beautiful (KAB) to promote not only recycling, but all three R’s - Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Recycling is one easy way to conserve natural resources, save energy and reduce the need for landfill space.

To maximize Lafayette’s recycling program, LCG Environmental Quality Manager Bess Foret urges citizens to follow recycling guidelines and best practices such as ensuring only recyclable materials are placed in the recycling 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.”

To prevent contamination, all recyclables should be emptied, cleaned, dry and loose (not bagged) before being placed directly in the recycling cart for collection. Items accepted for recycling are:

· 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 Jugs

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.

LCG’s Environmental Quality Division (EQ) has several resources online to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. The Know Before You Throw page offers information on where other common items can be turned in to be reused or disposed of properly.

Recycling is available to citizens in the City of Lafayette as a curbside service. Remember, the cart with the light blue lid is for recycling; the cart with the black or dark blue lid is for garbage. Residents in unincorporated areas of Lafayette Parish can drop off their recycling at 102 BJ Services Road, Lafayette, LA 70507.

In celebration of America Recycles Day, citizens can take the #BeRecycled Pledge at https://americarecyclesday.org/.

Also organized by LCG’s Environmental Quality Division, the bi-annual Household Hazardous Waste Day is scheduled for December 14 at UL Cajun Field

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