New community unit offers convenient recycling option

Recycling just got a little bit easier here in Sulphur Springs. On Friday, July 28, a community recycling unit (CRU) was installed in the parking lot at the Sulphur Springs Walmart. The container was built here in Sulphur Springs by D6.

The CRU has eight separate compartments for different waste streams, including aluminum packaging, clear plastic containers, home cleaning & beauty product bottles, paper boxes, plastic bags and films, plastic bottles, pet food packaging, and rigid food packaging.

The project was created to provide options for recycling materials that curbside recycling programs typically don’t take. The CRU project hopes to solve the problem of these non-recyclable materials being dumped in landfills, incinerated, or polluting the natural environment by diverting these items for recycling or reuse.

There are some specifics for each compartment of the container:

„ The Aluminum compartment is only for drink and food cans, foil and baking tins. Plastic or glass is not accepted.

„ Only clear bakery and produce trays or clamshells, clear fruit cups, clear plastic egg cartons should go in the Clear Plastic Containers compartment. Prohibited items include: colored plastic, glass, vinyl, blister packs and credit, bank or store cards; shower curtains, cling film, inflatable pool toys, yogurt or margarine containers, syrup bottles, bottle caps, chip packets or cereal box liners; and styrofoam takeout containers.

„ The Home Cleaning/ Beauty Bottles container is only for plastic milk, water or laundry detergent jugs, household cleaning bottles and personal hygiene bottles. Aerosol and/or glass bottles are not accepted.

„ The Paper Boxes compartment only accepts cereal, cracker, grain, baking and snack boxes, or personal care and over the counter medication boxes. Shipping materials, cardboard boxes, or plastic bags inside paper boxes are NOT allowed.

„ Materials allowed in the Plastic Bags and Films compartment include plastic shopping bags, bread and cereal bags, cling and bubble wrap or freezer, garbage and produce bags are prohibited.

„ Only plastic water, soda and sports drink bottles may be deposited in the Plastic Bottles compartment. Prohibited items include milk or water jugs, glass or aluminum.

„ The Pet Food Packaging compartment is for only the following: dry pet food bags and treat or litter bags. Aluminum pet food cans, soft food trays and pouches are not accepted.

„ Recyclers can place yogurt, butter or dairy tubs and ready meal trays in the Rigid Plastic Food Packaging Compartment. Milk jugs, shopping bags and film, snack or chip packaging, cardboard and paper are not allowed.

The CRU was built and installed by D6, Inc. here in Sulphur Springs.

The most direct path to the CRU is to enter the Walmart parking lot via the entrance off State Highway 11 east. Make an immediate right turn once inside the parking lot, and it will be just off to the left side a few feet ahead.

The CRU is powered by two solar panels atop the unit. Directions are clearly posted on the west side of the unit. Users will need to have a cell phone handy to scan the QR code posted on the unit.