By Katy Morse, Food Co-op Staff

Our Food Co-op has long been known as a central location for living sustainably. We offer goods and information about alternative products that support an organic, holistic culture. We care about our community every day and think about the health of our planet into the future. One of the services we offer is a place where members can reduce, reuse and recycle food related materials. You can find sanitized jars in the bulk area for bulk items, along with plastic, paper or cellophane bags. You can drop off your used egg cartons and brown paper grocery bags to be reused. And there is always a bin outside for recycled bottles or cans.

These services come with a price tag that the Co-op absorbs in the cost of doing business. Paying for the mountains of cardboard, cans and bottles to be picked up for recycling can be expensive, but we think it is worth the effort. In order for recycling to work, we have to think about what we are doing. Dirty containers and garbage mixed in with the recyclables can contaminate the whole batch. Our staff work hard to provide a clean environment, and we appreciate your efforts to keep it clean and properly sorted. 

Here are ways you can help us with being a responsible recycler:

Jar Savers

This program is regulated by the Health Department, and we must follow their guidelines.

We can accept:

• Wide Mouth Jars with lids that fit.

• Clean jars with NO LABELS

We do not accept:

• Thin necked jars

• Jars without lids

• Jars with labels

(Unacceptable jars are put into the recycling bin and add to the cost of our recycling)

Brown Paper Bags

These are sorted and reused at the registers. Please make sure your bags are:

• CLEAN (without debris inside)

• Structurally sound without tears or holes

• Folded neatly

Torn, crumpled, dirty bags get tossed in the garbage and add to our costs.

Egg Cartons

• CLEAN, without egg drip residue, feathers, cobwebs or spiders!

• Spines intact, structurally sound

• NO plastic egg cartons! They are not accepted here.

Many of the egg cartons that get dropped off are not reusable and end up in our paper recycling.

Deli Containers

What about those plastic containers from the Deli? Some of the Hot Bar containers can be reused. They are the ones with sturdy black bottoms and fitted clear plastic lids. Please CLEAN them before dropping them off at the collection bin (at the front of the store in the community hallway).

CLAMSHELL PLASTIC CONTAINERS CANNOT BE REUSED OR RECYCLED.

In Jefferson County we do not have the resources to recycle those plastic clamshells. There are other non-recyclable containers that our county does not accept. Please do not drop them off at the Food Co-op as they add to our costs for disposal.

Some friendly reminders about how to responsibly recycle in our county:

Glass Bottles

• CLEAN clear, brown or green glass

• NO LIDS (it really helps if you remove the lids before dropping off)

• NO BLUE GLASS
  

Cans

• Empty the cans, and rinse out
  

Plastic Containers

• Our county is very specific about what kinds of plastic they can take for recycling.

• Each year they print a list of acceptable and unacceptable plastics. If you are in doubt, please don’t throw it into the Food Co-op bins.

• For the counties list of what is acceptable and unacceptable please go here:
  https://jeffersoncountysolidwaste.com/recycling/
  

Cardboard Boxes

• We have a place across from the inside bathrooms for reusable cardboard boxes. It is helpful if you tuck in the folds of the top so they remain open.

• No waxed boxes.

• Our cardboard dumpster is ONLY for Co-op generated cardboard. Please do not drop your broken-down cardboard here.

Thank you for being mindful, considerate, and responsible recyclers!