Charlotte County leads the way in Florida with recycling program

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Cropped Photo: Courtesy of Rick Ireton/ MGN

Charlotte County is leading the way in Florida with its recycling program.

The county achieved 75.2 percent in traditional recycling — exceeding the state mandated 75 percent recycling rate by 2020 three years early.

Pete Davis is a regular at the mid-county transfer and recycling center in Port Charlotte.

“Any home repairs you always end up with a bunch of recyclables, plastics and such. And rather than toss it in a landfill, you just bring it down here and recycle it,” Pete said.

Pete is one of thousands taking advantage of the county’s recycling centers.

“Charlotte County is known around the world for its natural beauty,” Charlotte County spokesman Brian Gleason said. “It just makes sense that we take care of it ourselves.”

The county also uses what’s being recycled to save residents money.

“We recycle just about everything,” Gleason said. “We can include yard waste, which we send to a contractor at the landfill and he recycles it into mulch.”

Money gained from the mulch goes into the county’s general fund for other expenses.

Recycled or donated items that are still in working condition are sold at a thrift store at the mid-county facility. The proceeds help pay for operations at the Center for Abuse, Rape and Emergencies.

 

WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN’T RECYCLE

Paper

​Junk mail, newsprint, magazines, printing paper, phone books, etc. Basically, any kind of paper except shredded, waxed, metallic or soiled. (No hard cover books – donate those instead)

Metal Cans

​Aluminum or steel (tin) cans (clean aluminum foil & disposable pans are good, too)

​Cardboard

Any kind of box that doesn’t have a waxed coating (such as those used to hold milk, juice and broth) Flatten it to save room in your cart

Plastic Containers

​Look for the numbers 1 -7 within the recycle triangles on the bottom of the container (No styrofoam, no plastic bags)

Glass

​Green, brown and clear bottles and jars

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