Montrose, CO — Due to market changes in the recycling industry, the City of Montrose, in partnership with Waste Management, has made changes to the Single-Stream Recycling Program limiting the type of recyclable plastics that are accepted.
Due to the absence of any viable outlet for certain plastics, the city has been forced to collect ONLY plastic items marked with 1, 2, 4, and 5 recycling symbols. Effectively immediately, numbers 3, 6 (expanded polystyrene or styrofoam), and 7 items can no longer be placed into city recycling collection cans.
All city residents who participate in the city’s recycling program will need to check the recycling number on their plastic items before disposal. Compliance with these new restrictions is an important factor in maintaining a sustainable recycling program. Plastics 3, 6, and 7 will be considered to be contaminants in the recycling stream and excessive contamination will be charged back to the city as a fee.
Waste Management’s Montrose Recycling Center, located at 1901 6450 Road, will be imposing the same restrictions on plastic materials that it accepts. Residents who deliver their materials to this site should be diligent in removing 3, 6, and 7 plastics from their recyclables.
Other items that may NOT be placed in Single-Stream Recycling Program collection cans include glass, green waste, liquids, plastic bags, ziploc bags, plastic caps and lids, styrofoam packaging and peanuts, paperboard with wax/plastic coating such as juice and ice cream containers, batteries and electronic waste. These items are considered to be contaminants in the recycling stream as well.
In addition to acceptable plastic recyclables, tin and aluminum cans, caps, and metal lids that have been rinsed clean of debris and residue, paper products such as newspaper, mail with plastic removed, flattened paperboard, and cardboard may also be recycled and placed into city collection cans.
For more information about the updates to the City of Montrose recycling program contact Public Works at 970.240.1401 or visit CityofMontrose.org/Recycling.