How & Where to Recycle Specific Materials (updated February 2013)

Plastic Containers

#1, #2, #3, #4, #5, and #7 plastic containers are accepted for recycling throughout Eau Claire County.  Styrene containers (i.e. Styrofoam cups, plates, to go containers, etc.) are not recyclable in Eau Claire County and must be landfilled.

Note: plastic containers which contain hazardous materials such as motor oil should not be recycled!

Plastic containers must be rinsed clean before they are recycled.  It is okay to leave the labels on. It's helpful if bottles are flattened before they are recycled - this saves space in recycling boxes and trucks and reduces collection costs.

Packing Peanuts and Bags

Packing peanuts, whether they are made from styrofoam or corn starch, are accepted at the following businesses on an as needed basis: Automation Displays (834-9595), Country Treasures (839-9415), the UPS Store (552-1100) and Pak Mail (831-8808).

Plastic shopping bags, if they are free of food, liquid, price stickers, etc., can be recycled at the following stores:  Mega Pick 'N Save West (836-6342), WalMart (834-0733 - Eau Claire; 738-2254 - Lake Hallie), Copps (834-3993), Festival Foods (838-1000)

The Eau Claire public library also takes clean bags at the check-out counter.  The bags are given to patrons who request them when it's raining.

Most grocery stores sell reusable shopping bags for a nominal price.  Some are made from cloth, some from recycled plastic.  The stores will give you a credit each time you use the bag so they pay for themselves within a year.  Using reusable bags is a great environmental practice.

A recommended website for more information is:  http://www.reusablebags.com/ 

Styrofoam

At this time, there are no businesses in the Chippewa Valley that accept rigid styrofoam for recycling.  [As described in "Plastic - Packing Peanuts & Bags", styrofoam packing peanuts can be recycled at a small number of businesses.]

However, styrofoam is a good energy source for waste-to-energy plants.  The Barron County incinerator accepts styrofoam 24 hours a day, seven days a weeks.   It is located at 575 10.5 Avenue in Almena.  This is located southeast of Turtle Lake.  In order to get directions, go to:   http://www.mapquest.com/ and type in the address, along with the zip code of 54805.

Tyvek Envelopes

Tyvek envelopes, made by the DuPont Corporation, are those large business envelopes that feel and look like paper but which are made from plastic.  About 25% of the envelope's composition is made from recycled HDPE, milk and water containers.

DuPont has established a recycling program for this product.  If you are interested in more information, call 1-866-33-TYVEK

Other Materials

Throughout Wisconsin, there are some businesses which accept plastics such as shrink-wrap and vinyl siding. For information on these, go to the following website: