THOMASVILLE — The City of Thomasville accepts certain items at its two recycling collection facilities.

In the 1200 block of Remington Avenue behind the fire station, accepted items are newspapers, magazines, metal cans, aluminum cans, cardboard, plastics with recycling codes 1 and 2. The codes are on the bottom of containers.

In the 300 block of West Remington Avenue, items are newspapers, magazines, shredded paper (separated from magazines and newspapers), white paper (separated from magazines and newspapers), metal cans, aluminum cans, cardboard and plastics with recycling codes 1 and 2.

“To recycle plastics, it is very important that the recyclables be clean and free from food and other waste materials. For bottles, pour all liquid out and rinse well. Removing lids is not necessary,” said Jimmy Smith Jr., city solid waste and landfill superintendent. “For all recyclables, be sure you empty bags that are used to transport materials into the bin. Do not place bags in the bins.”

Items not accepted include glass, plastics 3-7, bubble wrap and protective air-filled packaging wrap, popcorn packing and styrofoam. Items such as clothing, mattresses, household appliances, electronics and household chemicals are not accepted unless it is during a special recycling event.

“White goods includes all major household appliances, such as refrigerators, stoves, washing machines, dryers and water heaters. These items may be placed at the curb the day before your scheduled pickup,” said Sheryl Sealy, city managing director of marketing and communications

Solid waste customers may have up to three items picked up each month. To schedule a pickup, call solid waste at (229) 227-7092.”

Electronic recycling includes computers, monitors, mice, printers, radios, cell phones, DVD players, fax machines and hand-held devices.

“The Solid Waste Department holds electronics recycling events as a way for the community to properly dispose of electronic items that contain hazardous materials such as lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium. This date is announced on the city website, Thomasville.org, and on our Facebook site,” Smith said.

In April, the city offers private citizens free disposal of household items, such as beds, furniture, stoves, chairs, electric and non-electric appliances and other bulky items, Sealy said. Drop-off sites will be announced on the city website, Thomasville.org, and on the city’s Facebook page.

Christmas tree recycling is conducted annually, usually the first or second Saturday of January. Mulch from the trees is used for city playgrounds, local government beautification projects and individual yards.

“You may bring your cut, undecorated tree to the West Remington recycling center. As a gift for recycling your Christmas tree, seedlings are distributed while supplies last,” Shealy said.

Recycling dropped off by residents is picked up by solid waste crews when a bin is full. A driver will provide the first inspection on-site. If there is visible contamination, the load is disposed of at the landfill. If no contamination is present, the bin is taken to the baling center and sorted.

At the baling center, a staff of five employees will inspected the recyclables a second time to remove non-recyclable items. The items are  sorted for disbursement to the recycling brokers used by the city:

• Greif Recycling (Tallahassee) – Accepts plastic items

• WestRock Recycling (Jacksonville) – Cardboard and paper items

“Recycling is sent to recycling brokers one to three times each month, depending on capacity,” Smith said. “Once at these facilities, the material is then sent to another facility to continue the recycling process.”

Smith said the most important issue now is contamination. 

“Some citizens use the recycling bins as trash dumpsters with no regard for what should and should not be placed in the bins,” he said. “In other cases, well-meaning citizens improperly recycle their materials. For example, they may use bags to transport recycling and place the bag and all in the bins or include plastics 3-7 which are not accepted.”

Residents can help the city by:

• Following recycling rules posted on the city website and at recycling centers.

• Helping fellow citizens with good intentions. If you see someone improperly recycling, let them know.

• Reporting issues to solid waste so contaminated bins can be promptly removed to avoid further contamination issues.

• Participating in recycling events and helping encourage others to do the same.

• Following the Rs of the waste hierarchy – Reduce and Reuse – to reduce other forms of waste.

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820