Village of Maple Park

August Spotlight: Back-to-School Habits & Upgraded Recycling

With families transitioning into new fall routines, August is the perfect time to build smart disposal habits at home and in our schools.

Three Tips for a Sustainable August:

• Toss Cold Drink Cups in Recycling: Thanks to expanded processing infrastructure, polypropylene plastic cups (such as iced coffee and cold drink cups marked #5) and paper to-go cups are now accepted in curbside recycling! Ensure they are empty and dry before placing them loose in your cart.
• Pack a Waste-Free Lunchbox: As school begins, encourage reusable containers, water bottles, and cloth napkins. Keeping single-use plastic wrap and snack bags out of school bins helps keep organic and recycling streams clean.
• Stick to the Core Recycling Rules: Remind students and residents to keep food, liquids, plastic bags, and electronics/batteries completely out of recycling carts.

The Core Goal

Empowering the next generation with simple, effective sustainability practices helps build thriving, resilient communities.

To learn more about local guidelines or explore school resources, visit wm.com/RecycleRight.

Summer is prime time for mowing, weeding, and garden cleanups. While these natural materials are perfect for creating nutrient-rich compost, unexpected items often find their way into yard waste containers, creating challenges at our processing facilities.

Three Tips for Clean Summer Yard Waste:

• Keep Plastics Out: Please remember that plastic flowerpots, seed trays, and water bottles should never be mixed with leaves, grass, or branches. These non-compostable materials degrade the quality of the final compost.
• Ditch the “Tanglers”: Upgrading your outdoor setup can leave you with old garden hoses or ropes. These items are severe hazards that easily wind around processing machinery, causing facility delays.
• Loose and Natural: Ensure only pure organic debris goes into your designated yard waste bags or carts. Keeping these streams separate allows us to effectively process the material back into useful natural resources.

The Core Goal

Proper sorting at the curb ensures that your neighborhood’s organic material is successfully repurposed into high-quality compost rather than ending up in a landfill.

For more local disposal guidelines, visit wm.com/RecycleRight.