Recycling is expanded in Pike County

Single-stream program simplifies recycling

By TOM KANE

MILFORD, PA — After searching several months for a solution to its recycling problems, the Pike County Commissioners announced that recycling services will be expanded and single-stream recycling will be introduced to encourage greater recycling, conserve resources and save money.

County residents can recycle a long list of items at 10 drop-off stations throughout the county.

Changing to a single-stream system means residents will no longer be required to sort recyclables. Instead, all paper, plastics, glass and metal items can be stored in a single container and placed in a similar receptacle at one of the drop-off stations.

Material collected through Pike County’s single-stream program will be hauled to one of Waste Management’s state-of-the-art processing centers where it will be sorted, bundled and shipped to reprocessing markets.

Waste Management has seen recycling volumes as much as double when single-stream recycling has replaced conventional or source-separated recycling, according to Dan Card, regional manager of Waste Management in Beach Lake. Card said waste disposal and recycling processing fees fluctuate, but at today’s rates, Pike County’s taxpayers will save about $30 for each ton of metal, plastics, glass and paper that does not end up in the landfill.

Some items that can now be recycled are:

Paper: newsprint, junk mail, magazines, computer and copy paper. Paper items should be bound or placed in a bag.

Metals: aluminum cans, foil, pie tins, tin and steel cans.

Plastics: clear and colored containers with numbers 1 through 7. Lids should be removed.

Glass: clear, brown and green containers.

Some materials that are not accepted are:

Wax-coated paper or cardboard

Any item with food debris

Plastic bags

Batteries

Styrofoam

Light bulbs

Wood and yard waste

Unnumbered plastics

Appliances

Hazardous and toxic substances

Aerosol cans