By: Claire Tribble
Recycling is one of the simplest ways individuals, families, schools, and communities can make a positive difference for the environment. Every day, millions of items are thrown away that could have been given a second life. Cardboard, aluminum, plastic, and paper are valuable materials that can be collected, processed, and transformed into new products instead of taking up space in landfills. Recycling conserves natural resources, saves energy, reduces pollution, and helps create cleaner, healthier communities.
Fortunately, Limestone County residents have access to a variety of recycling resources. Athens City residents have curbside recycling for many common materials, including plastic, cardboard, aluminum and steel cans, and mixed paper. Limestone County Recycling also provides receptacles for these same materials, giving residents another convenient option for responsible recycling.
Cardboard is one of the most common recyclable materials found in homes and businesses. From shipping boxes to cereal boxes and other paperboard packaging, cardboard can accumulate quickly. Recycling cardboard keeps large amounts of material out of landfills and allows its valuable fibers to be processed into new boxes and paper products. Before placing cardboard in a recycling container, be sure to break down all boxes to save space and make processing easier. Remove all plastic, Styrofoam, and other packing materials. Cardboard should also be clean and free of food and other contaminants whenever possible.
Aluminum has one of the most impressive recycling stories of any common material. Aluminum cans can be recycled repeatedly without losing their quality. Approximately 350,000 aluminum cans are produced every minute worldwide, making responsible recycling especially important. When an aluminum can is recycled, it can be processed and manufactured into a new can in a remarkably short amount of time. In fact, the entire process can take as little as six weeks for an aluminum can to be recycled and return to a store shelf. Recycling aluminum also requires significantly less energy than producing new aluminum from raw materials. Tossing a can into a recycling bin instead of the trash may seem like a small action, but when millions of people make that choice, the impact is enormous.
Plastic recycling is equally important. Many everyday products—including beverage bottles, shampoo bottles, detergent containers, and other packaging—are made from plastic. When properly sorted and recycled, certain plastics can be transformed into new containers, clothing fibers, carpeting, and other useful products. Recycling plastic reduces the demand for new raw materials and helps keep plastic out of landfills and the environment. Learning to identify recyclable plastics and following local recycling guidelines can make a meaningful difference.
Paper is another material that can have many lives. Newspapers, magazines, office paper, junk mail, books, and other paper products can often be recycled into new paper products. Recycling paper reduces the need for virgin materials and helps conserve the resources and energy required to manufacture new paper. Keeping paper clean and free of food waste and other contaminants helps ensure that it can successfully enter the recycling process.
There are several additional recycling opportunities available to Limestone County residents. Used cooking oil and grease can be recycled through the FOG (Fats, Oils and Grease) program. Metal collection cages are located at the KALB office, Limestone County Recycling, and Athens Utilities and contain empty
take-home containers. Residents can pick up a container, take it home to collect used cooking oil and grease, and return the full container to exchange it for an empty one. Tires are accepted at each Limestone County district work shed. Residents may dispose of up to four regular tires at a time. Packing materials, such as bubble wrap, Styrofoam peanuts, and packing paper, can be accepted at many shipping businesses, including locations such as Pak Mail. Residents should check with the individual business before dropping off materials. Electronics can also be recycled in Limestone County. Staples accepts many small electronics, including computers, laptops, phones, and printers. Limestone County also accepts small electronics as well as flat-screen and plasma televisions.
Glass is another important material that can be recycled again and again without losing its quality. Unfortunately, glass recycling remains a challenge for residents of Limestone County. Limestone County is working to bring glass recycling services back to the area. At this time, the only glass recycling facility serving North Alabama is Phoenix Glass Recycling in Huntsville. Expanding access to glass recycling would give residents another convenient way to keep valuable materials out of local landfills while strengthening our community’s commitment to reducing waste and protecting the environment.
Recycling is not simply about putting something into a blue bin. It is about recognizing that the materials we use every day have value beyond their first use. When we recycle cardboard, aluminum, plastic, and paper correctly, we conserve natural resources, reduce waste, save energy, and help build a more sustainable future. Every bottle, can, box, and piece of paper we recycle represents a choice. When we choose to recycle, we choose to protect our environment and our community—one item at a time.
By: Claire Tribble – Executive Director,
Keep Athens-Limestone Beautiful
