Recycling

Now offering Single Stream Recycling!

Sanico collects single stream recycling from all our residential customers.  This means you can mix your glass, plastic, metal and paper recyclables together in one can!  This does not change the rules about what can be recycled, just how it is to be prepared.  Also, our recycling is still manually loaded so weight limits and can size limits still apply.  Please see our recycling Rules of Thumb for more details.

How do I prepare my recycling?

See our recycling Rules of Thumb

When will my recyclables be picked up?

You can access your service schedule 24/7 by logging in to our customer portal and navigating to your personalized “Calendar”.  Log in here. You can also download and print the old style “Yellow” and “Blue” calendars.  Note – our new computer system no longer uses the terms “Yellow” and “Blue” for scheduling so these calendars are being phased out in favor of the personalized service “Calendar” on the customer portal.  If you are unable or unwilling to use our customer portal, please call us and we will be happy to mail or email you a copy of the correct schedule.

Why wasn’t my recycling picked up?

Nearly every day we receive phone calls asking this question. Recycling day is always the same day as your garbage pickup (recycling is every other week). Sanico sends two trucks on those days: a garbage truck and a recycling truck. In many cases when your recycling has not been picked up, the recycling driver was unable to distinguish your recycling can from your garbage can. Sanico will provide a complimentary recycling can (or a decal for you to use on your own can) in order to set it apart from your garbage cans. If you need a can or a decal, please call the office. Place your recycling can with the decal facing the roadway so that the recycling driver can see it. Other common causes of missed recycling pickup include the can being too heavy to lift (recycling is manually loaded) or too much contamination, i.e. non-recyclable materials mixed in the can. Keep your recycling can separate from your garbage so they can be easily identified. The best situation is to place recycling and garbage on opposite sides of the driveway. Also, do not put garbage in the recycling can marked with the decal. By law, the recycling driver cannot accept garbage and the garbage driver will not dump a can marked for recycling.

China’s impact on the Recycling Market!

Have you ever wondered what happens to your recycling material after our truck picks it up at your home or business?  The material is delivered to a local sorting facility where it is hand separated into bales of like items.  The bales are then “sold” to a distributor who combines the bales and delivers them to manufacturers who have the equipment necessary to re-use that material to make new products.  For much of the past decade China was the single largest purchaser of America’s recycling – buying upwards of 65% of what we left at the curb by way of massive cargo ships that cross the Pacific Ocean.  The steady supply of cheap material was a great pairing to their steady supply of cheap labor.  However, in a politically fueled decision driven by greater levels of contamination found mixed in with the recycling, China enacted strict restrictions in January 2018 that in effect meant they stopped accepting the world’s recycling.  This has caused considerable turmoil in the recycling industry and has resulted in a massive increase in the cost of disposal!  As the industry continues to struggle to find a home for all our recycling, it is more important than ever to pay attention to what goes into the recycling container.  Please refer to our Rules of Thumb for details.