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Eau Claire Recycling Program
How & Where to Recycle Specific Materials
Plastic Bottles
State and county law require plastic food and beverage bottles labeled #1 (PETE) and #2 (HDPE) be recycled.
#1 plastic is always used to make soda bottles and is commonly used to package products such as juice, ketchup, salad dressing and peanut butter.
#2 plastic bottles and jugs are commonly used to package milk, soaps and detergents.
-However plastics in a tub form (that may be indicated as #1 or #2) such as: margarine, yogurt, ice cream, plastic cups and lids and produce packaging clams are not recyclable in Eau Claire County.
Note: #2 bottles which contain hazardous materials such as motor oil should not be recycled!
Plastic bottles must be rinsed clean before they are recycled and the caps, which are made from different types of plastic, removed. It is okay to leave the labels on. It is very 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:
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