Colby: The Grumpy Recycling Cat 😾

Colby’s the kind of cat who thinks recycling is a waste of time. With his never-ending scowl and a disdain for anything eco-friendly, he’s convinced that throwing things away is the way to go. This past America Recycles Day, Recycling Connections worked to turn Colby’s grumpy frown upside down by busting up those recycling myths that he (and maybe someone YOU know) believes.  In case you missed it, here’s a run down of those myths we busted. 🐾♻️

1. “Recycling is pointless!” Colby’s convinced his efforts don’t matter and recycling doesn’t “do anything”.  But let’s talk about why recycling really does matter:

            1. Resource Conservation: Recycling reduces the need for raw materials, which helps protect our planet’s natural resources! 🌳

            2. Energy Savings: Did you know that creating products from recycled materials uses less energy than making them from scratch? ⚡This cuts down on energy consumption but also lowers greenhouse gasses emissions!

            3. Waste Reduction: Recycling keeps waste out of landfills, helping to reduce pollution and extend the lifespan of these facilities! 🗑️ By recycling, you’re making a conscious choice to lessen your environmental impact!

Every little bit counts and helps make a BIG difference! 🌍💚

2. “All recycling just ends up in the same truck anyway!”

Colby gets frustrated when he sees recyclables and garbage going into the same truck – he thinks all the materials are getting mixed together after he took the time to separate it. I’m sure a lot of other people feel this way too! 🚛 But here’s the thing: those trucks are called “split-body” trucks and they have different containers inside – one for your recyclables and one for your garbage.

These trucks are often used in rural areas where it’s more efficient to have one truck collect both streams of discards at the same time.  This design helps towns save time and resources, making sure your recyclables get a chance at another life – even if they ride along with the trash for awhile. 🗑️

Colby and others can feel a little better knowing that even though it looks like everything is mixed together, there’s still a system in place to handle recyclables properly. 💪♻️”

3. “Recyclables have to be completely spotless and that’s just WAY too much work!” 🐟 Colby believes his old tuna cans need to shine like a new penny in order to be recycled. Not true! 😅 Recyclables don’t have to be SPOTLESS; we just need as much residual out as possible! ✨

Put away the washcloths and save space in your dishwasher – a quick rinse is all you need! 🚰 Now you can use that extra time to lay around and nap, Colby! 😴

4. “You can’t recycle old batteries!”🚨

⚡ I’m really shocked with this one, Colby! ⚡🚨

Batteries CAN be recycled, just not in your curbside bin. 🔋That’s a big no-no and pose a HUGE risk for recycling centers.

🔥 Fire Hazards Ahead! Some rechargeable batteries (think cell phones, laptops, vapes) are like little ticking time bombs when they’re tossed improperly. They can spark fires at recycling centers! 😱 That’s because batteries contain chemicals that need special care when recycling. Yikes, right?

♻️ Alkaline Batteries (the classic AA, AAA ones):Good news – if your single-use batteries have given up the ghost, you can throw them in the trash. No need to stress about those. Just be sure to check your local guidelines in case they have any specific rules for disposal. Your local solid waste department is a great resource for this!

🔋 Rechargeable Batteries (think gadgets, cordless tools, etc.):These bad boys need to be recycled the right way. Don’t just toss them in the trash! They're like little eco-villains waiting to cause chaos if mishandled. Instead, take them to a drop-off location. Lucky for you, stores like Best Buy and Staples will happily take them off your hands for a small fee.

"Spark a change! Recycle your batteries the right way - keep our recycling workers safe and our facilities fire-free!" 🔋⚡

5. “The workers at the landfill will sort through the garbage and pick out what can be recycled.”

🤦‍♀️Colby…let’s talk. Throwing your recyclables in the trash, hoping workers at the landfill will sort them out? Not gonna happen. 🚯

Here's why: 🔴 Where Separating Happens: Sorting should happen beforehand! Take that extra step—sort at home. 🏠🔴 Health & Safety: Landfills aren’t equipped with the proper machinery to sift through your waste. It’s a health hazard for workers. 🔴 Time & Cost: Sorting garbage from recyclables manually at the landfill? Super inefficient and costly. Landfills are designed to contain waste, not to sort it. MRFs (Material Recovery Facilities) have the machinery and human hand-sort to separate and sort materials, but the main task is to separate one recyclable from another (your plastic #1s, #2s, paper, aluminum cans, etc.) not to separate your trash from recyclables.

📦 Tip of the day: Bagging your recyclables = instant recycling fail. 🙅‍♀️ 🚫 The sorting crew at recycling facilities can’t open bags because of the safety risk and time, so your stuff gets tossed off the line.

So, Let those recyclables breathe! 🌿 Keep them loose 🤙✌️

6. "The only way to dispose of organic waste, like food scraps, is to throw it in the trash.”

🎥 Picture this: You open your fridge, staring at the remnants of your “health journey” from 2 weeks ago—a sad, wilted bag of pre-mixed salad. Your health goal dream has turned into a brown, soggy nightmare. You sigh, knowing what comes next. You walk to the trash can, but what if it didn’t have to end like this? 😱 What if instead of sending those leafy greens to their deathbed at the landfill you could give them a second life? You could be their hero! 🌟

Enter composting. 🌈 Composting kitchen materials is also the easiest and cheapest way of taking responsibility for some of our own waste. When we compost, we’re helping nature recycle valuable nutrients back into the soil and taking some of the burden away from landfills.  Organic waste doesn’t just disappear when we toss it in the garbage. It sits there at the landfill, creating harmful methane gas, and literally just… rotting away. Composting is the ultimate plot twist. 🌍 Give that lettuce a chance to turn into nutrient-rich soil to fuel your garden, flowers, or even a potted plant.  It’s all about turning that waste into gold! (Not literally, we’re not King Midas here.)🌸

Wanting to start your composting journey? Message us! We can help you discover your green thumb and answer any questions to might have. 🧑‍🌾 But hey, if you’re not ready to go full garden guru, no worries! We’ve got the answer for that too – reach out to Bucket Ruckus, a curbside compost service in the Stevens Point Area that’ll pick up your food scraps for you & haul them away to the VIP after-party for forgotten fruits & veggies.

7. “I just put all my old electronic devices in the trash – it’s totally fine.”

This is NOT “totally fine,” Colby! 🙅🙎‍♂️

When you throw your electronics in the trash, you're tossing away valuable materials and damaging the planet—not to mention, it's illegal in Wisconsin (and many other states)! 🚫

Electronics contain toxic chemicals like lead & mercury that leach into the earth, polluting our soil & water. 💧 And don’t forget—those old devices hold precious metals (gold, silver, lithium) that can be recycled instead of wasted. 💎 These items go to the landfill and sit there for thousands of years, just piling up and taking up valuable space. It takes a TON of energy to make electronics, so why not give them a second life? Your “trash” could be someone else’s lifeline! 💞

Instead of tossing it, recycle, donate, or repurpose your tech. 🌱 Visit the DNR’s Electronic Recycling Webpage to find a list of drop-off locations near you: DNR’s Electronic Recycling. 📺📔

8. “I empty my old medications right into the trash. Sometimes I flush them too.”

Colby, please think twice before disposing of your medications that way. 💊🚽❌Flushing them down the drain or tossing them in the trash might seem easy, but it can have serious consequences for our environment. 🐟🐠 When medications make their way into lakes and streams, they can harm aquatic life and even find their way into our drinking water.  🤒🤧 We all share the responsibility of protecting our natural resources, and that includes the delicate ecosystems that depend on clean water. 💦

The best way to safely and responsibly dispose of old medications is by taking them to a permanent drug drop box. These drop boxes are the most eco-friendly option available. Before you drop off your medications, check the packaging for any specific disposal instructions—if there are none, a drop box is still your safest bet. 💉

To protect your privacy, remember to remove or obscure any personal information on the labels using a permanent marker. You can find a list of approved drop box locations from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, making it easier than ever to dispose of your medications the right way.

9. "Recycling doesn't have an impact on climate change."

Recycling is actually one of the simplest yet most powerful tools we have to combat climate change! It helps create a more sustainable and resilient future.🥊By re-using materials, we’re reducing the need for raw resources, cutting down on harmful emissions, and saving energy! 🌍♻️

What else does recycling do to combat climate change?

✨Lower carbon footprint (because making new stuff takes way more energy than using what we’ve already got. 💪)

✨Reduce pollution & conserve natural resources

✨Reduces landfill methane emissions

For example, recycling aluminum uses 95% less energy than creating new aluminum from bauxite.

It’s not the final answer to solving climate change, but it does contribute! Let’s slow down climate change, one plastic bottle or aluminum can at a time. 💖🥰

10. "If it’s not labeled as recyclable, it cannot be recycled."

Alright, buckle up, Colby cat, because this recycling question is one of those tricky riddles the recycling industry faces daily.♻️ An answer we often give in the world of recycling is—it depends. 😎 Sometimes items aren't labeled with the iconic recycling symbol, but that doesn’t mean they're not ready for their second life! You've just got to know where to send them. Here are a couple examples:

Scrap metal? No recycling symbol, but totally recyclable! It’s like that friend that comes to the party they didn’t get an invite to but knows how to make an entrance. 💥 Scrap metal dealers are happy to take your scrap metal off of your hands, in many cases for free. NEVER put scrap metal in your recycling bin – it’s detrimental to recycling facilities, but find a scrap metal dealer near you and let your scrap metal join the never ending circle of sustainability!

Plastic Grocery Bags? Ah, these are sneaky, aren’t they? We buy reusables but these plastic bags manage to slide back into our lives. They don’t normally come with a recycling label, but plot twist – they are! Grocery stores often have special drop-off bins specifically for your plastic items. Pro-tip 💡 Make sure the plastics you bring to these drop offs are flexible plastic, not the easily broken stuff.

We don’t want to gatekeep! When you’re in doubt or have a specific question, reach out to your local solid waste department for clarification.  They’re happy to help! Or feel free to shoot us a message on Facebook – we love talking trash!

Yo-Ho! Mind-Blowing Facts Ahead! 🏴‍☠️

Did you know the recycling symbol with the numbers 1-7 on plastic doesn’t mean the plastic is automatically recyclable in your area? Yep, I said it. 💅

Those numbers are a part of a system invented by a true recycling legend, Milly Zantow, a Wisconsinite (you better be proud of that now! ❤️🤍) who created a way with her friend to identify different types of plastic.  These two women helped make recycling easier! But here’s the thing, it’s just a way of categorizing the plastic, not a green light to go ahead and recycle it. Some plastics might be harder to recycle than others and your local program may not accept all the different types.

Milly was a game-changer for recycling.  Take a deeper dive into her story with this 5-minute video.

11. “Throwing away hazardous waste is safe as long it’s in the trash.”

It’s a scary thing – you’re minding your own business cleaning out your garage or cluttered drawer and then you see it: you come face to face with an old battery, an old cleaner, or a dreaded paint can from before you moved in. The desire to just toss it in the trash and be done with it is strong – but stop! 🛑✋ Don’t do this! Hazardous waste shouldn’t go into your trash.

So what do we do instead of throwing it in the trash? 💡 ✅ Call your local solid waste department and ask them how you can properly dispose of these materials! It’s easier than you think AND it helps keep our planet clean & safe. 🌍

⚡ Toxic chemicals from these items can leak into our environment—polluting water, soil, and air. Not cool. 😬 🔥 Some items can catch fire in the landfill, creating a dangerous situation for everyone! watch. 😱 🦋 Wildlife can get hurt or even killed by exposure to these chemicals. We’ve got to protect our fellow humans and our furry and feathered friends! 🦉

Colby: The Recycling Cat

After all these myths have been busted, Colby is looking a little less grumpy and is ready to pounce on any recyclable items that come his way! Colby’s doing his part to make sure items that can be recycled actually get recycled – and you can too! It’s that easy. ♻️😺 Colby’s all in on the mission to spread the word: we can all do better for the Earth by properly recycling the items that can be recycled—no more throwing them away! 🙌

Got any recycling myths that need busting? 🧐 Message us on Facebook or send us an email —Colby’s got his claws ready to tackle ‘em! 🐾