Apartment Recycling in St Croix County
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need to recycle?
Recycling became a requirement for everyone in the State of Wisconsin when, in
1989, all recyclable materials were banned from landfills in the State. Each
county enforces recycling in their own way but most people realize that it
simply makes good sense. It saves energy, conserves natural resources, reduces
air and water pollution, and reduces the need for additional landfill space.
What types of materials can be recycled at
my building?
The same materials that are collected in the curbside recycling program for
homeowners must be collected at apartment buildings.
Why do we need to separate paper and
cardboard from container recycling?
Recyclers use machinery and people to separate recycling so it can be marketed
and reused. It's very difficult to separate containers (especially broken glass)
from paper and cardboard. you might have a recycler that does take mixed
recyclables, which is known as single stream recycling, but most processors
can't do that yet. So, please follow the rules of your recycler and make
it easy for the people who do this important job.
My building doesn't have recycling
containers, what can I do?
Talk to your manager and let them know that you want to recycle and ask them to
provide adequate recycling containers for your building. That may be all it
takes but, if they refuse or don't act on your request, contact the St Croix
County Recycling office at 715.386.4675 and let us know. We'll offer our
assistance to establish recycling and explain to them that they are required by
law to comply.
Our recycling bins are too small and always
full, can anything be done to get adequate bins?
Talk to your manager first and ask them to provide larger recycling bins. It
might help to point out that they can save money on waste removal if residents
are encouraged to recycle. If the conditions don't change, contact the St Croix
County Recycling office and let us know. St Croix County's recycling ordinance
requires that recycling containers be adequate to suit the needs of the
building. If the bins at your building are always full, then the buildings owner
is responsible to resolve this issue to be in compliance with the ordinance.
If someone puts their garbage in the
recycling bin, will the hauler treat all the whole bin as garbage?
It takes time and it may even be dangerous to try and sort waste from recycling.
Most recycling haulers will not accept recycling if there's too much
contamination from waste. In this case, they usually haul it away as waste and
may charge the buildings owner an extra service fee. If your bins don't have
good labeling and residents aren't informed about how to recycle, let your
manager know about this website and encourage them to use our services. If the
problem continues, contact the St Croix County Recycling office at 715.386.4675
and we'll be happy to offer our assistance.
I've seen the hauler put the recycling in
the same truck as the garbage, why should I recycle if it's just being thrown
out?
While it is true that, if there's too much waste or contamination of the
recycling, the hauler has to treat it all as waste, there is another
possibility. Waste haulers have trucks that are equipped to keep recycling
separate from waste so it sometimes appear that it's all going together. If you
want to know for certain what's happening to your recycling, you can call the
hauler and ask. If there is a problem, you can contact your manager or the St
Croix County Recycling office at 715.386.4675.
My manager told me I have to save my
recycling indoors and put it on the curb on the recycling day, is that right?
Most apartments use larger bins that all residents share. Building owners are
required to provide adequate recycling facilities and notify residents twice a
year about recycling requirements. Some managers of smaller buildings offer
curbside bins to residents and designate a place and time for the recycling to
be put out. This is acceptable but, if there is a reason why this method does
not work for your building, please call the St Croix County Recycling office at
715.386.4675. We can offer recommendations to the owner or manager and suggest
ways that recycling can be improved.
What can I do to encourage other residents
to recycle or recycle more responsibly?
Leading by example is a powerful way to encourage your neighbors to recycle so
you're already doing a great job. It's always best to work with the management
of your building if there are problems with other residents. Let them know that
you would like to do more to improve recycling and encourage them to contact the
St Croix County Recycling office. We offer advice and printed materials that
help educate and encourage people to recycle at apartment buildings.
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