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Recycling
Recycling is a way to reduce pollution, reduce dependence on imported resources and increase American jobs and resources. Recycling is also a way of taking potential hazardous materials (e.g. batteries or fluorescent bulbs) and containing the risk while generating a benefit. It can be as simple as putting paper and cans in bins or as complicated as finding ways of reusing or repurposing materials to so that they don't have to be recycled in the conventional sense.
Bloomington has many online resources, listed below, and a good recycling program. This page should be a central place to 1) Link all the regional webpages that help with recycling in one place and 2) indicate how to recycle or reuse things not recycled in the standard city program.
For anything that is still usable, finding a reuse for it is even better than recycling. Try donating it to a Thrift Store, listing it on Freecycle or Craigslist, or for household materials or building materials, donate to the ReStore. See also the reuse options at the County Waste Management
| Material | types | destinations |
|---|---|---|
| Paper | All types except below | City picks up on alternate trash days |
| Paper | All types except below | University recycling collects |
| Paper | All types except below | Collected in green and yellow dumpsters behind several schools as fundraiser through Abitibi paper |
| Paper | Exceptions: glossy lined paper such as ream wrappers, milk cartons or other waxy paper and "carbonless" paper cannot be recycled. | |
| Batteries | Release hazardous materials if not recycled | Accepted at BatteriesXpress, 7th street.
Cell batteries taken back at most cell phone stores |
| Batteries | Size AAA thru D | IU Loading docks generally have battery collection bins |
| Styrofoam peanuts, bubblewrap, plastic air sacs and packing material | Most types except molded foam that typically encases new objects | PakMail (Henderson & Winslow) and most other shipping stores, to various degrees |
| Fluorescent Light Bulbs | Release hazardous materials if not recycled | County Recycling Center
Bin in lobby of Library in Ellettsville. |
Not listed here? Try the extended lists at county recycling on Walnut or other places
More information: City of Bloomington curbside recycling list
Huge list of items accepted at County Recycling (walnut st) for recycling or reuse
