Recycling Guide - Updated June 2024
The Climate Action Collaborative is launching our 5th Bi-Annual Recycling Guide for the Eagle County Community. We are spelling out in perfect clarity (with pictures included) what can ALWAYS go in your recycle bin and what can NEVER EVER go in your recycle bin. And we've included several important recycling updates, as some things have changed.
View and Download the Guide (Available in English and Spanish), and please read below for important recycling updates. We also strongly recommend utilizing the Waste Wizard app for all your recycling questions.
Recycling Explained in these blog posts:
- New Changes in Recycling
- Why Are there Recycling Updates?
- Composting in Eagle County
- What About the Little Things?
- What is Waste Diversion?
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
- Eagle County FREE Drop-Sites
View and Download the Guide (Available in English and Spanish)
ALWAYS RECYCLE:
Newspaper, cardboard, # 1- #7 plastics (tubs, jugs and bottles), tin and aluminum cans, glass jars and bottles. Please do NOT crush aluminum cans, it can cause the sorting machines to mistake them for a contaminant.
NEVER RECYCLE:
Plastic bags, plastic cups (NO plastic cups are recyclable even if they have a recycle emblem on them), Starbucks cups, napkins and paper towels (although these types of paper products can be composted), soft, thin plastics (such as plastic food wrapping / food coverings), plastic plates and utensils, styrofoam, and electronic waste.
ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE SEEN MANY RESIDENTS ATTEMPTING TO RECYCLE ITEMS THAT DESPITE HAVING A RECYCLE EMBLEM OR LOGO ON THEM - ARE IN FACT NOT RECYCLABLE. THIS INCLUDES ITEMS SUCH AS MEAL DELIVERY BOXES AND PACKAGING (HELLO FRESH FOR EXAMPLE). THE ICE PACKS, AND THE SOFT PACKAGING INSIDE IS NOT RECYCLABLE - ONLY THE EXTERIOR CARDBOARD BOX CAN BE RECYCLED. WE HAVE ALSO SEEN THIS WITH CHEWY PACKAGES. THE PACKAGING IS LINED IN BROWN PAPER - THE PAPER ITSELF IS RECYCLABLE BUT INSIDE THAT PAPER IS A STYROFOAM-LIKE PACKAGING FILLER THAT IS VERY MUCH NOT RECYCLABLE. SO PLEASE HELP US REDUCE CONTAMINATION BY KEEPING THESE OUT OF THE RECYCLING BINS.
2024 Updates:
Did you know that recycling rules can and do change? What is recyclable at your home in Vail may be a little different than at the free recycling drop site in Eagle, or in Denver, Dallas, or Denmark. There can be various reasons for changes in recycling rules, including commodities markets, infrastructure and transportation, and as those factors evolve, so too do recycling rules.
Here in Eagle County, we have dual stream and single stream recycling available, and there are a few tricky items that can go in one system but not the other. It’s important to keep track of these items and where they can or can’t be recycled. In fact, there’s been some recent changes for single stream recyclers in Eagle County!
As a reminder, if you have residential curbside recycling in the towns of Eagle, Minturn, or Arrowhead, or if you take your recycling to a free Eagle County recycling drop site, you have dual stream recycling. That means that you must separate your commingle (recyclable plastics, metals, and glass) from the paper and cardboard. Cardboard cannot be recycled curbside for dual stream customers and must be taken to a drop site (there is a cardboard recycle drop site at Minturn Town Hall). All other communities in Eagle County and most businesses have single stream recycling, in which all recycling goes into one bin.
Plastic Items
The good rule of thumb for recycling plastics in Eagle County is to recycle containers, like bottles, tubs, jugs and jars. They must have the chasing arrows symbol with a number inside in order for it to be accepted in the recycling. Folks with dual stream recycling (curbside and drop site users) can recycle plastic clamshell containers (berry and takeout containers) and plastic cups in addition to bottles, tubs, jugs and jars. No matter which stream, you must remove straws and other small plastics. Styrofoam cups and clamshells are still never recyclable in Eagle County, even if they have the chasing arrows symbol.
COMPOST:
You may participate in the Minturn residential composting program through Vail Honeywagon. You must sign up / register with Vail Honeywagon, and then you will gain access to the drop site at Town Hall. Please keep in mind that the Minturn compost drop site is for FOOD WASTE ONLY. We do NOT accept yard waste at this drop site, as yard waste needs to be taken to a different facility for processing. If you wish to compost yard waste, please reach out to Vail Honeywagon directly. See below for more information regarding composting in Minturn.
But watch out! There are also compostable “plastic” cups and clamshells out there. These are identifiable by the #7 PLA with the chasing arrows symbol. These items are made with plant-based plastic, not petroleum-based like traditional plastics, and can therefore not go in your recycling bin. These items can often be industrial composted, depending on your compost hauler.
Here are the other items that vary between single and dual stream recycling in Eagle County:
Aluminum Foil
Aluminum foil can be accepted in single stream recycling only. It should be clean (no food residue), and balled up. Please do not recycle if you have dual stream recycling.
Starbucks Coffee Cups
Starbucks white-fiber cups (for hot coffee) cannot be recycled in Eagle County!
Cardboard
Cardboard is recycled in both single and dual stream, but only picked up from curbside single stream recycling. If you have dual stream curbside pickup, please take your cardboard to the Free Recycling Drop Sites and it will be recycled from there!
Shredded Paper
Shredded paper can be recycled in dual stream only, but please be mindful of containing it! Try putting it in a paper bag, which is also recyclable. Never put any recycling in plastic bags!
Aseptic Cartons
Aseptic cartons (tetra paks, milk and broth cartons) cannot be recycled in Eagle County!
Reminder - Tin and steel cans, aluminum cans (please don’t crush these, it can cause the sorting machines to mistake them for a contaminant.
If you’re unsure if you have single or dual stream recycling then check with your hauler, and if you’re ever unsure of what goes in which bin, check the free Eagle County Waste Wizard app!
Happy recycling!
RESIDENTIAL CURBSIDE RECYCLING
Residential Curbside Recycling is available to all Minturn residents. If you are signed up for trash service, there is no additional cost for recycling. Please contact Jay Brunvand at Town Hall (970-827-5645, x1, treasurer [at] minturn.org (email)) to sign up for this service, and to obtain the appropriate recycle bins. Minturn residential curbside recycling is currently dual-stream, so we recommend that residents have 2 bins.
Please also note that cardboard is not currently accepted for curbside recycling in Minturn, however cardboard may be dropped off at the Town Hall recycling dumpster. This dumpster is ONLY for items not accepted in curbside recycling. This is not a full recycling center / drop site, and is not set up to handle the volume of residents dropping all of their recycling here. Please utilize the residential curbside recycling for all of your primary recycling needs.
Thank you!
Dual-Stream Recycling
What & How… Household recycling is easy. Just follow these instructions when you place the items in the Vail Honeywagon recycle bins. Recyclables must be in Vail Honeywagon recycle bins to ensure reliable service. Call our office if you need a larger recycle bin.
Bin # 1:
Paper – newspaper, office paper, magazine, paperboard
Bin # 2:
Comingle – glass, aluminum, plastic
Cardboard is NOT accepted in dual-stream curbside collection
Cardboard can be recycled at the Eagle County recycle drop-off sites.
Dual Stream can now put paperboard in the paper bin at the curb.
Contaminated recycling will be refused and extra charges will apply for contaminated recycling.
Additional Resources
Materials not accepted:
Recyclable materials contained in plastic bags will not be collected for recycling
*Extra charges may apply if we need to send a separate truck to pick up contaminated recycling
Plastic BagsCoffee CupsStyrofoamWrappersMirrors & GlasswareSoft Plastics & Packaging
Hard to Recycle Materials
Batteries & Bulbs:
Eagle County Household Hazardous Waste – (970) 328-3468 – Wolcott
Vail Valley Ace Hardware – (970) 476-8282 – Vail
Electronics:
Eagle County Hazardous Waste – (970) 328-3468 – Wolcott
Paint:
Vail Valley Ace Hardware – (970) 476-8282 – Vail
Sherwin Williams – (970) 845-0686
Eagle County Household Hazardous Waste – (970) 328-3468 – Wolcott
*ECHW also accepts aerosol, pesticides & motor oil
Furniture/Clothing & Toys:
Eagle Valley Community Fund – (970) 845-7070 – Minturn
Vail Valley Cares – (970) 926-7134 – Edwards & (970) 328-1444 – Eagle
Habitat for Humanity – (970) 328-1119 – Eagle
*Habitat does not accept clothing
Scrap Metal:
Trinity Recycling – (970) 328-5051
Recycle/Compost:
vailhoneywagon.com – (970) 467-3511
Compost Drop Site at Town Hall
The Town of Minturn is happy to announce that we have implemented a Compost Drop Site at Town Hall. This service is available to Vail Honeywagon Compost Program members only (you must sign up for the service to participate). The compost dumpster is located at the southeast corner of the building, on the Boulder St. side.
To sign up for a drop-site membership contact requests [at] vailhoneywagon.com (Vail Honeywagon).
Recycling Technology Items
Recycling electronic equipment is critical for our environment yet experts currently estimate that less than 15% of electronic components purchased are properly recycled. The remaining 85% are unaccounted for and often end up in our landfill. There are many Hard to Recycle events throughout Eagle County throughout the year, including Minturn's annual Town Cleanup Day in June. For more information about year-round opportunities to dispose of e-waste, please visit https://www.eaglecounty.us/departments___services/solid_waste___recycling/recycling.php.
Household Hazardous Waste Facility
The Eagle County Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) and Small Business Hazardous Waste Collection Facility (CESQG) is now open to the public. The new facility is located at the landfill north of Wolcott. For more information visit the HHW website or call (970) 328-3463.
Landfill & Recycling
Eagle County Landfill:
P.O. Box 250, Eagle, CO 81631
2250 Hwy 131, Wolcott, CO 81655
Phone: (970) 328-3470
Fax: (970) 328-3466
kelly.berry [at] eaglecounty.us (Email)
