Douglas County Recycles |
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This page contains information on the Douglas County, Kansas recycling program.
The Who, What, When, Where, & Why
Who
What
- #1 & #2 Plastics
- Aluminum & Steel
- Chipboard
- Cardboard
- Paper of many kinds
- Newspaper
When
Where
Why
Reasons to Get Excited!
- More than 42% of all waste generated in the US is recyclable.
- An aluminum can that is thrown away will still be a can 500 years from now! But...
- Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours -- or the equivalent of a half a gallon of gasoline.
- The average American uses seven trees a year in paper, wood, and other products made from trees. This amounts to about 2,000,000,000 trees per year! But...
- Each ton (2000 pounds) of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill space, 4000 kilowatts of energy, and 7000 gallons of water. This represents a 64% energy savings, a 58% water savings, and 60 pounds less of air pollution! The 17 trees saved can absorb a total of 250 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air each year. Burning that same ton of paper would create 1500 pounds of carbon dioxide.
- Americans throw away 25,000,000 plastic beverage bottles every hour!
- Recycling plastic saves twice as much energy as burning it in an incinerator.
- The U.S. is the #1 trash-producing country in the world at 1,609 pounds per person per year. This means that 5% of the world's people generate 40% of the world's waste.
- On average, it costs $30 per ton to recycle trash, $50 to send it to the landfill, and $65 to $75 to incinerate it.
- Some of Douglas County's recycling is picked up by Community Living Opportunities (CLO), a Kansas service organization that serves children & adults with developmental disabilities. CLO currently serves over 300 clients in Douglas & Johnson counties.
- The rest of our recycling is picked up by the City of Lawrence. They provide paper and cardboard recycling services free of charge. This is a great way for our local government organizations to work together and support one another!
Accepted Materials
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Plastic: Anything with the 
symbol with a 1 or 2 inside can be recycled through our program. The most common forms of #s 1 and 2 are soda and water bottles. Don't forget to check your salad dressing bottles and peanut butter jars! Please remove all lids and rinse containers before placing them in the bin. -
Aluminum: Any type of aluminum can be recycled. This will most commonly include soda cans, but don't forget about aluminum foil! As long as it is relatively clean, it can be recycled, too! -
Steel: Any type of steel can is acceptable. This traditionally comes in the form of soup, fruit or vegetable cans. Lids may be included in the recycling, and labels do not need to be removed. -
Chipboard: Chipboard is a material whose weight falls between that of cardstock and corrugated cardboard. Most Lean Cuisine-type meals come in boxes made of chipboard, and Kleenex boxes are made of it, too. Don't forget about the box your 12 pack of soda comes in! -
Corrugated Cardboard: Most packing boxes are made of corrugated cardboard. When looking at the edge of the material, if you see ridges, it's corrugated cardboard! -
Newspaper: All newsprint, including any advertisements that come with the paper, can be recycled in our newspaper bins. Please keep magazines and other types of paper separate. -
Paper: Many types of paper are recyclable with our new program! - White Paper
- Colored Paper (light dyes)
- Checks
- Post-It notes
- Envelopes (even envelopes with windows!)
- Junk Mail
- Business Forms
- Shredded Paper
- Carbonless Fax Paper
- Letters
- Manila, White, & Pastel File Folders & Cardstock
- Staples & Paperclips are OK
Unacceptable papers include:- Magazines
- Dark, Dyed Paper
- Phone Books
- Photos
- Chipboard or Cardboard
- Solid Paper Products (plates, napkins, paper towels...)
- Foil Laminated or Adhesive Backed Paper
- Plastic or Wire Bindings
- Ream Wrap
- Blueprints
How to Do Your Part
Your participation is this program is crucial to its success! We want it to be a program in which employees take pride, knowing they are helping our community, both socially by supporting CLO, and environmentally. Here's what you can do to participate!
- Know where recycling bins are located both in your department, and in other departments nearby.
- Know what can and cannot be recycled within our program.
- Know how to appropriately recycle your waste. Pay attention to necessary procedures of rinsing, breaking down, shredding, etc.
- Know how your department handles specific items, especially paper and cardboard; these will vary by department.
- Promote the program among your coworkers, friends, family, and the public.
- Encourage participation whenever possible. Remind your coworkers that their water bottle be recycled if you see them lean toward the trash can.
- Let your department head or recycling committee representative know if something is not working well in your office. The start of any new program always presents unforeseen challenges. With your input, we can evaluate and alter the program to make it work efficiently and effectively!
