Sanders County no longer recycling plastics

Due to China no longer accepting U.S. recycling waste, Sanders County has been forced to discontinue taking plastics.

“We have been taking plastic we just can’t sell, and to be fiscally responsible to the taxpayers, we will currently have to quit taking it,” said Jason Peterson, Sanders County Solid Waste Supervisor.

“It is not a county or state problem, it is an international issue. If you have no market to sell the recycled plastic, unfortunately, it becomes trash. The bigger more concentrated areas can sustain because they don’t have the shipping costs of the rural sites. It’s going to take some time, but someone will come up with something to do with it,” said Dusti Johnson, MDEQ Materials Management Specialist.

She encouraged finding other ways to buy or make products such as laundry soap, condiments, etc., and if you can’t recycle plastics, make it up with the other items you can.

Sanders County will accept these other commodities for recycling: All batteries, clean and flattened cardboard, mixed paper, vehicle oil, aluminum beverage cans, metal.

Two sites in Missoula currently accept plastics:

Republic Services at 3207 W. Broadway St. in Missoula is only accepting #2 HDPE natural and #1 PETE. The drop-off area is open to the public 24 hours a day, but the plastics need to be sorted into the appropriate bins.

Pacific Recycling at 2600 Latimer in Missoula is taking #1 and #2 bottles only, with a mouth smaller than base. For example, coffee containers qualify. Lids must be removed and discarded as they are a different type of plastic.

No oil bottles are accepted because the oil permanently contaminates the plastic.

#1 bottles all go together regardless of color.

#1 trays and clamshells not accepted.

#2 may be split into 2 grades:

Translucent – most milk jugs, windshield wash etc., may be recycled many more times.

Colored plastics – including white — will mostly likely not be recyclable again, but on the plus side will likely be made into durable products rather than use-and-toss packaging. For convenience #2 translucent may be included in the colored, but this limits its use as well as its ability to be recycled again.

Call Dusti Johnson, MDEQ materials management specialist, at 406-444-6499; or Kathy Conlin, Sanders County Recycling coordinator, at 827-6942 with any questions.