Recycling
Why Recycle?
Recycling helps the environment
Recycling conserves resources
Recycling reduces landfill space
Recycling saves money
Recycling is the law!
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
Please recycle used clothing, eyeglasses, toys, appliances, books, furniture and other items in good working condition by donating them to your favorite charitable organizations.
2019 Changes to Recycling
- We know it is very disappointing that we are no longer able to recycle glass with all the other recyclable items. Unfortunately, this is because the glass breaks and shards of glass get mixed in with all the other plastic and paper recyclables. Once the shards of glass embed in the other paper and plastic items, they cannot be separated. This basically ruins not only the glass, but the paper and other plastics as well, making the whole bag of recyclables un-able to be recycled. If we keep accepting glass mixed with other items, once the glass breaks, all the items in the same bag/bin are being thrown into the trash. In an effort to keep the entire bag/bin of recyclable items from being thrown in the trash, we removed glass from our program. So for now, all glass must be disposed of with the garbage. By removing the glass and keeping it from breaking and mixing broken shards in with the other recyclables, we are now at least able to keep recycling the paper, plastic and also the metals.
Needless to say, there are not even any local recycling businesses that will accept glass. That is the problem: when no recycling facilities will accept the broken glass mixed with other items, the waste companies have no choice but to throw the bags into the garbage. In some places, waste haulers are still accepting glass, but often the glass is still not being recycled. Instead, the glass is being re-used as road base to drive on the landfills themselves, but none of it is being recycled into new glass products.
There are a few glass recycling facilities that still accept glass, as a separate item, but they are quite a distance away.
Here is a list of glass recycling facilities nearest to Erie:
Ardagh Glass www.ardaghgroup.com 1 Glass Place, Port Allegany PA 16743 814-642-2521Bradish Glass www.bradishglass.com 444 Willow Crossing Rd, Greensburg PA 15601 724-837-5100
CAP Glass www.capglassrecycling.com 1005 Modulus Rd, Mt Pleasant PA 15666 724-547-4550
Dlubak Glass www.dlubak.com 1600 Saxonburg Rd, Natrona Heights PA 15065 724-224-6611
Owens-Illnois Crenshaw Plant www.o-i.com Rt 219 N / 1260 Cherry St, Brockport PA 15823 814-261-5360
RecycALL 4832 Rt 155, Port Allegany PA 16743 814-558-1995
Strategic Materials www.strategicmaterials.com 2323 West 3rd St, Cleveland OH 44113 216-241-4450
We are fully committed to trying to find a way to recycle our glass. We are working together with Erie County, several neighboring municipalities and all four of our local universities to try and find some solutions. We have already formed a committee and have met several times looking into several different options in regard to recycling glass and what the future of recycling will look like in Erie and across the whole state of Pennsylvania.
- Unfortunately, we also had to change what plastics we can recycle. Due to the current market, there are no recycling facilities that will accept plastic items that are made using injection molding and only certain plastic items that are made using blow molding have a value to be recycled and used by potential plastic buyers. The plastic items that are recyclable are any plastic item with a threaded or screw-top lid, which are mostly #1 and #2 plastics. These items are BOTTLES, JUGS and JARS, (such as: water bottles, laundry detergent jugs, and peanut butter jars).
We cannot collect an item for recycling, unless we have an end user who is willing to purchase and recycle that item. China used to accept most of the #3, 4, 5, and 7 plastics, but it turns out that most of these plastics were not actually being recycled. They were mostly being burned for fuel.
- For 2019, we are still accepting shredded paper. However, any item smaller than 2 inches will fall through the grates and up as garbage. Therefore, shredded paper should be placed in its own blue/clear bag, separate from any other materials, so it can be pulled aside. Junk mail is also still being accepted as long as it is larger than 2” x 2”. Envelopes are also accepted, but no plastic windows.
Here is link to a really good article that helps explain some of the issues and what we’re dealing with.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-era-of-easy-recycling-may-be-coming-to-an-end/.
Thank you for caring about recycling.
Where to Take It?
Almost Everything Can Be Recycled Somewhere In Our Community
- Automotive Batteries Battery Outlet, The 2825 Liberty St 868-7487
Erie Batteries 1915 Parade St 455-7789
Auto Zone 3016 West 26th St 836-9041
Motor Oil Advance Auto Parts All locations
Advance Auto Parts 1334 West 26th St 454-5942
Advance Auto Parts 2214 East 38th St 824-6042
Auto Zone All locations Auto Zone 2119 Broad St 453-2653
Metal Parts Liberty Iron 646 East 18th St 452-4549
Lincoln Metal 1602 Selinger Ave 838-7628
Tires Most Tire Outlets (Fee charged per tire.)
City of Erie Tire Annual Collection- Call for Date & Time 870-1450
- Ni-cd /Rechargeable (No alkalines)
A Duchini, Inc. 2550 McKinley Ave 456-7027
Best Buy 6650 Peach St 860-8487
Home Depot 7451 Peach St 866-2772
Mueller Locksmith 445 West 8th St 452-3345
Radio Shack 1324 East Grandview 825-6931
Radio Shack Eastway Plaza 899-0214
Target 6700 Peach St 860-8511
- Have your installer remove the carpet. Cut the carpet into small pieces and place in bags curbside on your regular refuse pickup day.
- City Hall Lobby Drop-off box 626 State St 870-1450 Donate to SafeNet- a women and children’s center 455-1774 The Funding Factory 456-6005
- Computers, TVs, Video & Fax Machines, Phones, etc. (Fees will be charged depending on the amount disposed of.)
Environmental Coordination Services & Recycling (ECS& R) 3237 Highway 19, Cochranton, PA 814-425-7773
Erie County E-Cycling Events 451-6009
City of Erie Electronics Annual Collection- Call for Date & Time 870-1450
- Material consists of concrete, asphalt, brick or block
Fiesler West Recycling 1202 West 16th St 454-6609
- All corrugated cardboard must be flattened and tied. Do not place boxes inside of boxes, or place paperboard (tissue, cereal boxes, etc.) with corrugated. Remove packaging such as plastic wrap and Styrofoam and dispose of properly. If the box is larger than 4ft., break it down. If the boxes are not flattened, it takes three items more space in the truck. Place next to your blue recycling container.
- (Fees will be charged depending on the amount disposed of.)
Beez Appliances 916 Parade St 455-2192
Waste Management 851 Robinson Road 824-7800
Other Appliance Stores certified to remove freon.
Once the Freon is removed, you must take it to Lincoln Metal or Liberty Iron.
- Corrosives: drain cleaners, rust removers, oven cleaners; Flammables: gasoline, kerosene, butane, oil base paint, paint thinners; Toxics: pool chemicals, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, rat and mouse poison, flea collars, roach and ant killer, window cleaner, furniture polish, antifreeze, brake fluid, fluorescent lights, mercury, etc.
(Fees will be charged depending on the amount disposed of.)
Environmental Coordination Services & Recycling (ECS&R) 3237 Highway 19, Cochranton, PA 814-425-7773
Erie County HHW Collection Events 451-6009
- Aluminum, Brass, Cast Iron, Copper, and Steel
Liberty Iron 646 East 18th St 452-4549 Lincoln Metal 1602 Selinger Ave 838-7628
- Latex Based Paint: Remove lid and let the contents air dry in your garage or basement or add a waste paint hardener or cat litter. Make sure the open can is out of the reach of children or little critters. When paint hardens, dispose of paint with refuse, the can, with the lid off, can be placed with recyclables into a blue bag at curbside.
Oil-Based Paint: Flammable-Household Hazardous Waste
(Fees will be charged depending on the amount disposed of.)
Environmental Coordination Services & Recycling (ECS&R) 3237 Highway 19, Cochranton, PA 814-425-7773
Erie County HHW Collection Events 451-6009
- Erie Pallet Company 1835 East 12th Street 452-4961
- Erie Energy Products, Inc. 1 400 Irwin Dr 454-2828
*They accept newspaper, phone books, paperback, and comic books.
- Most Grocery Stores
Giant Eagle 7200 Peach Street 866-1089
Wal-Mart Buffalo Rd 897-1003
- Alphajet 24th and Cherry 461-9799
The Funding Factory 2101 West 12th St 456-6005
- Fee may be charged.
Chapman Gasses 1313 Chestnut St 453-5637
Chaps General Supply 5320 Buffalo Rd 899-6804
Rent-A-Wreck 4340 West 26th St 833-9941
Low Bucs Propane 11526 East Lake Rd 725-1325
**Small hand held propane tanks are recyclable, if the tops are cut off. Otherwise they can be disposed of in the regular garbage. **
- Appliance Disposal Company 1-888-GO-FREON
*Will pick up appliances up in your home or curbside. 1-888-(463-7366)
*Fee will be charged depending on item and pickup. www.appliancedisposal.org
- Foam Fabricators Limited 6550 West Ridge Rd 838-4538
*Only accept foam packaging, Styrofoam board, foam peanut packaging, and the products must be white in color and clean.
Pony Express 1903 West 8th St 456-6245 *Any type of Styrofoam accepted