Most people already know that newspapers, glass, aluminum and tin cans, #1 and #2 clean, clear plastic bottles, and corrugated cardboard can be recycled easily in Teton Valley. But did you know since January 2018, Teton Valley Community Recycling (TVCR) has offered TerraCycle as an option for Valley residents and visitors to recycle additional hard-to-recycle items?
Read on to see what you can now recycle through the TVCR TerraCycle program!
TVCR provides two local TerraCycle collection centers: one at the Teton Regional GeoTourism Center in Driggs (open 24 hours a day), and the the other at the General Laundry Co. in Victor (open 7am-10pm). We appreciate having business partners willing for us to use their indoor space as collection centers! Your local dentist is also helping collect dental waste, and Victor Vision Clinic collects used contacts and blister packs to recycling with us. Periodically, TVCR volunteers box up and ship these items back to their manufacturers, putting the responsibility of proper recycling back in the hands of the producers of these hard-to-recycle materials. (Note: TerraCycle material are not collected curbside through RAD or at the County transfer station since they are small and lightweight and would likely blow in the wind, creating a big mess.)
Since the program’s inception, we have found that not enough people know about TerraCycle in Teton Valley. So we are thrilled to partner with Barrels and Bins Community Market who can educate their consumers “at the source” – when they are making their purchasing choices! Now consumers will see while they are shopping which product packaging can be recycled in Teton Valley through TerraCycle, and which will end up in the landfill.
The next time you shop at Barrels and Bins, look for the green TerraCycle label on the shelves of your favorite products. Barrels and Bins also offers discounts for people bringing their own refillable containers to buy in bulk and reduce packaging waste.
Here is the current list of items we are able to recycle in Teton Valley. TVCR is on the waiting list for a few more, so stay tuned by following Teton Valley Community Recycling on Facebook, subscribe to our newsletter, visit our TerraCycle collection points (GeoTourism or General Laundry), or ask for a list from the Barrels & Bins cashiers. Please be sure all items are as clean as possible and excess “product” is squeezed out.
- BATTERIES (any size, any kind, we recycle these locally)
- CEREAL BAGS (any brand)
- CONTACT LENSES AND BLISTER PACKS (any brand)
- DENTAL WASTE (includes toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, floss containers – and any of the associated packaging from any of these items)
- DEODORANT TUBES
- FOIL ENERGY BAR WRAPPERS (or any CLIF/Luna product; foil bar wrapper can be any brand, but must be clean & from a bar, not chips, seaweed, etc.)
- MOUTHWASH CONTAINERS
- PRINTER INK CARTRIDGES (any brand, we recycle locally)
- RAZORS & PACKAGING (any brand)
- SELF CARE/BEAUTY PRODUCTS (lipstick/lip balm/lip gloss, mascara, eyeshadow, body or face lotion tubes, soap pumps – NO SHAMPOO BOTTLES, NO NAIL POLISH, NO SHAVING CANS)
Thank you, Barrels and Bins, for being a responsible retailer and helping make it easier for all of us to reduce our landfill-bound waste! And thanks to all of you who already sort and recycle these items. If you’d like a complete printable list of Teton Valley TerraCycle, please email tetonrecycling@gmail.com and we will send you a copy or grab one at the Barrels & Bins register.
