People often ask us if the recyclables we collect through the Denver Recycles program really get recycled. The answer is yes!

 

Recyclables provide manufactures with a clean, cheap supply of raw materials for making new products. In many cases the use of recyclable materials aids these companies in saving energy and reducing pollution in their manufacturing processes. As you can see, the value of the materials makes “cents.” In addition to being valuable to manufacturers, recycling helps to save the City money, because we are paid for each ton of recyclable material instead of paying to dispose of it in the landfill.

 

Your recyclables are first taken to a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) where the materials are sorted and prepared for market. The materials are sold for the best price like any other marketable product and then shipped off to various facilities across the country to be made into new products.

 

Cardboard & Paperboard: Goes to Washington to be made into new paperboard (Weyerhaeuser).

 

Glass: Goes to Colorado to be made into new bottles (Rocky Mountain Bottle Co.)

 

Phone books: Goes to Colorado to be made into home insulation (Green Fibers).

 

Newspaper, Magazines & Mixed paper: Goes to Arizona to be made into new newsprint (Abitibi Consolidated).

 

Aluminum cans: Goes to Missouri to be made into new beverage cans (Anheuser Busch).

 

Steel cans: Goes to New York to be made into new cans (Conti Metals).

 

Mixed-color plastic bottles: Goes to Alabama to be made into new plastic bottles and flower pots (KW Plastics).

 

Plastic soda bottles: Goes to South Carolina to be made into fiber used to make carpet and fleece clothing (Wellman, Inc.).