Figuring out what goes in your trash, recycling or bulky waste just got easier for Oklahoma City solid waste customers thanks to a new tool introduced by the OKC Utilities Department during its America Recycles Day celebration. Mayor David Holt spoke about the City鈥檚 recycling outreach initiative, and was joined by Councilperson James Cooper, City Utilities officials and members of the OKC community. Rumble the Bison also stopped by to join third graders from John Rex Elementary School in teaching those gathered how to 鈥淩ecycle Right.鈥�
Currently, about 70 percent of items put in customers鈥� Big Green recycling carts are processed and transported to manufacturers for recycling. The remaining 30 percent 鈥攊tems that are not recyclable or are not accepted in the City鈥檚 recycling program 鈥� are considered contamination and must be sent to local landfills. This includes items such as plastic bags, garden hoses, clothing and textiles, hangers and assorted non-accepted plastics. The amount of contamination in Oklahoma City averages about 10% higher than the national average, and City officials want to see that number go down.
鈥淐ontamination costs all of us,鈥� Utilities Director Chris Browning said, 鈥渟ince non-recyclable items have to be pulled out from among the many good materials in the recycling stream, a process which costs time and money. We want to reduce that number so those who participate in recycling can have confidence their efforts aren鈥檛 going to waste.鈥�
To help combat contamination and make recycling easier for all OKC residential curbside recycling customers, the City鈥檚 Utilities and IT Departments developed a new online search tool now available at . Called 鈥淲hat Goes Where,鈥� the tool helps customers quickly find where to properly dispose of more than 500 everyday household items that customers can search by name 鈥� from pizza boxes and spray paint cans to mattresses and motor oil. The tool provides clear guidance on whether an item belongs in a customer鈥檚 Big Blue trash cart, Big Green recycling cart, bulky waste or should be taken to the City鈥檚 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center. It also includes a list of items that are not accepted at all by the City鈥檚 solid waste management program.
鈥淲hat Goes Where helps customers take the guesswork out of their recycling,鈥� Browning said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a simple way for customers to make sure they鈥檙e recycling right and helping lower the amount of contamination in our recycling stream.鈥�
The new waste tool is part of a larger recycling education initiative aimed at improving recycling numbers, both in terms of contamination and participation. To date, only about 43% of customer households with curbside recycling set out their Big Green recycling carts for collection. The City wants to increase that number.
鈥淥ur landfill space has limits,鈥� Browning added, 鈥渟o we need to do what we can to encourage more residents in our curbside program to recycle. Whether it鈥檚 through education, providing new online tools or community outreach, we want to show our customers that we are working alongside them in their recycling journey.鈥�