This document provides information and guidelines for recycling paper, plastics, metals, and glass at work. It explains why recycling is important by conserving resources and reducing environmental pollution. Specific guidelines are given for which paper products, types of plastics marked with numbers, food cans, and bottles/jars can be recycled. Items like plastic bags, Styrofoam, dirty materials, and those containing chemicals cannot be recycled in co-mingled bins. The document stresses the importance of clean recyclables and notes that businesses have higher recycling potential than their current rates.

1. OCCU Green Team Resources
2010

2. First of all, why Recycle?
• Recycling conserves natural resources
• Saves energy
• Reduces garbage disposal costs
• Reduces environmental pollution• Reduces environmental pollution
• Creates jobs in local industries instead of
distant mines.

3. First let’s start with PAPER
• Paper takes up over 54
tons of Lane county’s
garbage. That’s 20% of
garbage a year that
doesn’t need to be in
• First, we are shredding
paper that doesn’t need
to be, and therefore
paying $$$ when we
don’t have to.doesn’t need to be in
the waste stream. Paper
is our main resource we
use at work, so it’s only
fair we concentrate on
that.
don’t have to.

4. Easiest things to do with paper
• Only shred paper that has
confidential information. Create a
new bin or basket for non-
shredable paper. See if you can
reuse it first. Flip it over and print
on the other side, make scratch
paper out of it, THEN recycle in
• Saves $$ by not
shredding when not
needed.
• Save $$ by not buying
paper out of it, THEN recycle in
non-shred bin.
Save $$ by not buying
paper and scratch pads.

5. What Paper can be recycled?
• Newspaper, magazines, phone books,
computer paper, cardboard (non-waxy), and
mail!

6. Common paper products thrown in
the recycle bin that CAN NOT be
recycled
• Single use coffee cups
• Wax covered paper plates
• Plastic coated cardboard
• Any juice or milk containers SMALLER than a ½ gallon
• Remember, these are NOT recyclable in the co-mingle

7. Plastics
THINK:
BOTTLES TUBS AND JUGS

8. Plastic Do’s and Don’ts
• Think 6 ounces or bigger
• ALL recyclables MUST be
clean! This is a MUST!
• No plastic utensils, remember,
Bottles, Tubs and JugsBottles, Tubs and Jugs
• It is always better to use a reusable water bottle, but if you
must buy bottled, you can now receive a deposit for bottled
water!
• Look at the bottom of the container, if it has a
#6, it can not be recycled.

9. Co-mingle Plastic No-No’s
• No caps or lids
• Plastic bags CAN NOT go in the co-mingle
• No Styrofoam-like products
• No microwave cookware• No microwave cookware
• No take out containers
• No Bubble wrap

10. Metal
• Food and beverage cans only.
• Aluminum Foil CAN be recycled if it is CLEAN
and crumpled into a ball no smaller than your
fist.
• Try and keep the lids on when opening, this way it has more
of a chance of getting picked up by the magnet when it goes
through recycle.
• No need to remove labels!

11. Glass is easy!!
• No need to remove labels or rings!
• Think Bottles and Jars
• Glass needs to be separated from the rest of
the co-mingle. There should be separate bins
for glass collection.
• Also, no broken glass

12. A few more things to NOT put in the
Co-Mingle
• Auto product containers (gas, oil, antifreeze
etc)
• Garden products (Such as fertilizers or
pesticides)pesticides)
• Aerosol cans
• Cleaning product containers (Any container
with a CAUTION or A WARNING label)
• Paint or stain containers

13. Just because it can’t go in the Co-Mingle,
doesn’t mean it can’t be recycled.
• The Co-Mingle system is set up for easy recycling for
everyone. Just because you can’t put it in the co-mingle,
doesn’t mean you can’t recycle it or compost it. The way
that the collection bins are set up, it needs to be easy and
therefore it is not perfect. If you are interested in learningtherefore it is not perfect. If you are interested in learning
about further recycling of other products, please let me
know, there are unlimited resources available!

14. Why it’s important
• In Eugene, 60% of waste comes from businesses,
However businesses only recycle at a rate of 28%.
• Our recycle is sent to Portland. If it is not clean, it will
make the trip back to Eugene and be thrown in the
landfill. It is imperative that our recycle is CLEAN.
• We CAN help stop this:• We CAN help stop this:

15. Our planet is at a tipping point. We only
have so many resources we can use before
it’s all gone. We owe it to our children’s
children to have the opportunities and
quality of environment that we have now.