First Effingham Recycles Day Coming November 15

The inaugural Effingham Recycles Day will take place later this month, celebrating the recycling services currently available, looking to the future of recycling, and highlighting the growing importance of source separation in the marketplace.

On November 15, Effingham Recycles will celebrate America Recycles Day, an initiative of the Keep America Beautiful campaign, with the launch of a community survey and a day of education and celebration.

Members of Effingham Recycles will be at the recycling bins located at Centenary United Methodist Church from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 15 to help with sorting and to collect survey responses. Free coffee courtesy of Joe Sippers and hot apple cider will be available for anyone who takes along a reusable mug, and prizes will be given away throughout the day.

Effingham Mayor Jeff Bloemker will issue a proclamation at the November 7 City Council meeting declaring November 15 to be Effingham Recycles Day. Additional recycling bins just for detergent bottles and milk jugs will be on-site on the 15th, in addition to the usual cardboard and mixed/single stream bins in the parking lot to the east of the church at 203 E Grove Ave, Effingham. These extra bins illustrate the need for adjustment in community recycling.

Recyclable household waste such as plastic, cardboard, and aluminum are commodities traded in a changing economy. Chinese markets that once purchased massive amounts of American recyclables are tightening restrictions and buying far less. This has put new pressure on the economics of recycling, and will make source separation an even more important aspect of recycling. As of late October, area waste processing facilities charged $35 per ton to accept single stream recycling, making its cost effectiveness compared to landfilling less appealing.

However, the value of certain common household waste items can be much higher. One ton of nothing but milk jugs would fetch $500 in the same time period, and detergent bottles would bring $300 per ton. Effingham Recycles is highlighting this striking difference with the additional bins to be provided by Sanitation Services, who service the recycling bins at CUMC.

Effingham Recycles is an initiative of Impact 2030. Find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/effinghamrecycles or email them at effinghamrecycles@yahoo.com.