Recycling items not picked up
Several people in Peabody were less than pleased last week to find their recycling items still at their curbs long after the trash trucks left town.
"The recycling center is really cracking down on what can and can't be in the recycling system," said city clerk Cindy Harms. "The guys who pick up the recyclables are going to be more strict from now on about what they pick up."
Harms noted that the crews left tags tied to some of the bags to inform homeowners of why the bags were still there. "But they ran out of tags because of the number of bags with illegal items in them," said Harms. "So not everyone got an explanation."
She reminds Peabody citizens that they must use the clear bags for recycling items because the workers won't pick up bags they can't see through. Using an extra trash container for recycling is also acceptable.
Cans, plastic, and glass should be empty and rinsed, but the labels do not need to be removed. Flattening cans helps to save space. Aluminum pie tins are acceptable, but foil is not.
Plastic items that have a one or a two on the bottom are acceptable. Plastics that have a higher number are not acceptable.
Paper can include newspapers, magazines, phone books, food boxes, and even junk mail. Cardboard boxes should be separate, not stacked inside one another. They should be flattened or bundled for easier collection.
Glass jars and bottles should be rinsed. The caps are recyclable, but should be removed. The recycling center will not accept light bulbs, ceramics, bake ware, window glass, or mirrors.
"If people are confused," said Harms, "they should stop by the city building for a list of items that are acceptable."
Harms noted that the city has issued such a list in the water bills once or twice in the past. She said her office will be sending them out again.
"Also, people can have appliances and large items picked up, but they need to pay for a special tag based on the size of the item," she added. "The tags are available at the city office."
Anyone with questions should contact Harms at 983-2174.
