If you’re taking the time to read this section of the magazine, you undoubtedly are the kind of person who takes pains to separate your recyclables from your trash. You rinse and sort. You fold and bag. And you probably feel pretty good about it afterwards. But sometimes you get a nagging feeling that you aren’t doing things right. “Should I be recycling that pizza box?” you ask yourself. “What about those No. 5 yogurt containers?”

Even with the best of intentions, conflicting information, half-remembered school lessons, and varying local standards can make recycling complicated. With the help of the Eau Claire County Recycling Program, we’ve prepared this brief guide as a refresher course in what can – and cannot – be recycled, as well as an update on recent changes to recycling standards. (Please note that this information applies to people in Eau Claire County who have curbside trash collection or bring their recyclables to a county drop-off station. If you live outside the county or have a specific question, it’s best to contact your waste-hauling company or county recycling office.)

NEWSPAPERS

DO recycle newspapers and their glossy inserts.
DO put them in paper grocery bags if you wish.
DON’T put them in plastic bags.
DON’T tie them with string.
DON’T recycle them if they’re dirty. TIP: You may call the newspaper the fishwrap, but don’t recycle it if you’ve actually wrapped it around a fish.

CARDBOARD

DO recycle corrugated cardboard.
DO recycle other boxes, such as non-corrugated ones that hold cereal or crackers.
DO break down and flatten boxes.
DO remove all liners, food, etc., from boxes.
DON’T worry if the cardboard is wet – as long as it’s only water.
DON’T recycle boxes that are meant to be stored in the refrigerator or freezer, such as soda boxes or ice cream boxes. They have a moisture-proof coating that makes it hard to break them down.
DON’T recycle cardboard if it’s dirty, oily, or covered in food. (In other words, pizza boxes are a big no-no.)

OTHER PAPER

DO recycle office paper, magazines, catalogues, phone books,  paper egg cartons, etc.
DO find out from your waste-hauling company how paper should be packaged.
DON’T recycle tissue paper, wax-coated paper, or paper contaminated with food, paint, oil, etc.
DON’T recycle packages that are meant to be stored in the fridge or freezer.
DON’T recycle “bathroom boxes” – i.e., boxes containing toothpaste, soap, or other hygiene products.

GLASS

DO recycle bottles and jars of all colors.
DO rinse them clean and remove their caps.
DON’T worry about removing labels – they’re OK.
DON’T recycle dishes, glassware, window glass, ceramics, mirrors, or any other glass product.

CANS

DO recycle tin and bi-metal cans.
DO rinse them clean.
DO remove both ends and flatten as much as possible – this saves space in recycling receptacles and reduces cost.
DON’T worry about removing labels – they’re OK.

ALUMINUM

DO recycle aluminum cans. TIP: You can even get money for them at the right place!
DO rinse cans clean and flatten them.
DO recycle pie plates and food trays, as long as they are clean of food residue.
DON’T recycle aluminum foil.

PLASTIC

DO recycle plastics labeled types 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7.
DO rinse clean, remove caps and lids, and flatten them.
DON’T recycle No. 6 plastics.
DON’T worry about removing labels – they’re OK.
DON’T recycle Styrofoam products.

LIGHT BULBS

Regular old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs usually can’t be recycled. However, in Dunn County they are accepted for 25 cents each at all area collection stations and at the Transfer Station and Recycling Center.

Florescent bulbs contain a small amount of mercury and should be recycled.

Compact florescent bulbs (CFLs) – the new twisty kind that (usually) lasts forever – can be recycled at locations including:

• Augusta True Value, 128 Lincoln St., Augusta, (715) 286-2217.
• Eau Claire Ace Hardware, 2618 Birch St., Eau Claire, (715) 836-7788.
• Gordy’s True Value, 111 W. Columbia St., Chippewa Falls, (715) 726-2510.

Florescent lamps – the long, tubular kind that look light “Star Wars” lightsabers – also can be recycled at:

• Eau Claire Ace Hardware, 2618 Birch St., Eau Claire, (715) 836-7788.
• Advanced Disposal (formerly Veolia), (715) 839-9553.
• Waste Management, (715) 723-7241.
• Gordy’s True Value, 111 W. Columbia St., Chippewa Falls, (715) 726-2510.
• Gordy’s True Value (Lake Wissota), 17168 Highway J, Chippewa Falls, (715) 726-2515.

BATTERIES

• Common household alkaline batteries (the kind you put in toys and flashlights) can be safely thrown in the trash or recycled via Eau Claire County’s Clean Sweep program.
• Rechargeable batteries can be recycled at many retailers: Go to call2recycle.org and enter your ZIP code to find one near you.
• Button batteries (the little ones in watches, hearing aids, etc.), lithium, and mercury batteries should be recycled through the county Clean Sweep program.
• Old automotive batteries can be recycled free of charge by any retailer who sells you new ones. (Retailers may charge a nominal fee if you aren’t buying a new one.)

COMPUTERS

• Comprehensive Recycling, Mondovi, (715) 839-7899.
• First Choice Computer Recycling (FREE computer recycling for residents and K-12 schools), 525 Park Ridge Court, Eau Claire, (715) 833-2005.
• RAM Technologies, 2828 London Road, Eau Claire, (715) 834-9797.
• Salvation Army (computer must be less than five years old and functional), 521 N. Bridge St., Chippewa Falls, (715) 726-9506.

APPLIANCES

Under state law, most major appliances are banned from landfills: air conditioners, washers and dryers, dishwashers, dehumidifiers/humidifiers, freezers, furnace boilers, microwaves, stoves/ovens, refrigerators, and water heaters. However, the following companies can help you recycle them:

•First Choice Recycling, 525 Park Ridge Court, Eau Claire, (715) 833-2005.
• Bridge Creek Transfer Station, Highway 27, 1 mile north of Augusta (no phone).
• Max Phillips, 3532 White Ave., Eau Claire, (715) 832-3431.
• Toy’s Salvage, 8010 Olson Drive, Eau Claire, (715) 834-6677.
• U-Can Recycling, 2318 Ridge Road, Eau Claire, (715) 834-6030.

PAINT

Latex paint can be disposed of with your trash as long as it has been hardened. You can do this simply by opening the can up and letting it dry; by adding a commercial hardening compound; or by mixing the paint with cat litter, vermiculite, sawdust, or ground corn cobs.

Oil-based and other paints used for marine, automotive, or hobby purposes should be disposed of during the Clean Sweep program.

MEDICATION

If you live in Eau Claire County, you can bring unwanted or expired pills, capsules, salves, creams or liquids to be disposed of at one of the following locations:

• Altoona Police Department, 1904 Spooner Ave., Altoona, (715) 839-6090.
• Augusta Police Department, 145 W. Lincoln St., Augusta, (715) 286-2555.
• Fall Creek Police Department, 122 E. Lincoln Ave., Fall Creek, (715) 877-2177.
• Eau Claire County Sheriff’s Department, 721 Oxford Ave., (715) 839-5055.

CLEAN SWEEP

Several times a year Eau Claire County holds a Clean Sweep event to help residents dispose of household hazardous waste. The remaining Clean Sweeps for 2013 will be Saturday, Sept. 14, and Saturday, Nov. 9, from 8am to noon at WRR Environmental Services, 5200 Ryder Road. (To reach WRR, follow Highway 93 south of Interstate 94, turn east onto Lorch Avenue (the first road south of I-94) as if heading to the car dealerships, and then immediately turn left onto Ryder Road, which goes south parallel to Highway 93.)

Materials accepted free of charge include pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, fertilizers, solvents, old fuels, cleaners, oil paint, varnish, lacquers, shellac, paint thinners, roofing tar, nail polish remover, lye, polishes, air fresheners, drain cleaners, and motor oil. In addition, latex paint, antifreeze, aerosol cans, dry cell batteries, and fluorescent lamps are accepted for a small fee.

Clean Sweep is open to household waste from Eau Claire County residents (and from residents of the city of Eau Claire in Chippewa County). Small businesses that qualify as very small quantity generators may also dispose of waste during the Clean Sweep. (Businesses should call BJ Michalek at WRR Environmental Services at (715) 834-9624 to register and to get more information.)

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Eau Claire County Recycling Program: (715) 839-6159.
Dunn County Solid Waste Division: (715) 232-4017.
Chippewa County Recycling Program: (715) 726-7999.