A recent change was made by recycling collection facilities. Starting in October 2019, recycling collectors no longer accept bagged recyclables. Recycling facilities consider recyclables that are held in plastic bags, such as aluminum cans in a plastic bag, as contaminated. Bagged recycling will be routed to in the landfill. Recyclables in paper bags are still accepted.
In the past, recycling facilities allowed a percentage of bagged recycling but now they reduced the percentage tolerated to zero. Pleasant Prairie Public Works collects 2200 tons of recycling every year. Currently about 16% (352 tons) of that recycling is in plastic bags, which would be routed to the landfill. It costs the Village $150 per ton of bagged recyclables to be dumped in the landfill. The community is doing a good job keeping recyclables loose in their carts but we need to increase this effort to not only help the environment but also bring collection costs down. You can help keep costs down and help the environment. Please keep your recyclables loose in the blue cart.
Public Works offers a second recycling cart to residents free of cost to encourage recycling.
Click here to see Public Works recycling information page.