Iowa Recycling Association

10/09/2026

October is Aluminum and Metal Recycling Month!
🥫 Did you know? Approximately $800 million worth of aluminum cans end up in U.S. landfills every year?

That's a lot of valuable material going to waste!

Here's the good news: Aluminum can be recycled again and again without losing its essential properties. That means the can you recycle today could become part of another product tomorrow!

🌎 Why should we care?
✅ Recycling aluminum conserves valuable natural resources.
✅ Recycled aluminum requires far less energy than producing new aluminum.
✅ Keeping aluminum in circulation helps reduce waste and supports a more sustainable future.

💚 YOUR OCTOBER CHALLENGE:
Start collecting aluminum cans at home, at work, or in your community. Instead of tossing them in the trash, give them another life!

Questions or concerns? Contact Iowa Recycling Association at Iowarecycles.org.

♻️ Let's make every can count!

The Iowa Recycling Association (IRA) is a statewide non-profit serving its members who are vested in the recycling industry.

10/02/2026

♻️ PLASTIC RECYCLING #7 — OTHER

#7 means “Other” and includes plastics that don't fit into categories #1–6, such as polycarbonate, nylon, acrylic, and some specialty or multi-layer plastics.

You may find #7 on reusable water bottles, food containers, electronics, and automotive parts, and all other styles of plastics, Baby bottles, rubber doll faces etc.

⚠️ #7 does NOT automatically mean recyclable. Because it covers many different materials, acceptance varies widely.

🔎 Check the label and your local recycling provider before tossing it in the bin.

Remember: The recycling symbol identifies the plastic—it does not guarantee the item is recyclable.

Know what you have. Recycle it right. ♻️Questions? Contact the Iowa Recycling Association at www.iowarecycles.org

10/01/2026

♻️ PLASTIC RECYCLING #6 — POLYSTYRENE (PS)

Plastic marked #6 is polystyrene, found in disposable cups, food containers, protective packaging, and foam products often called “Styrofoam.”

⚠️ Most curbside recycling programs do NOT accept #6 foam. Foam is lightweight, bulky, and can be difficult to process—especially when contaminated with food.

♻️ Some communities and specialized recyclers do accept clean foam packaging, so check before you toss it!

🌎 When possible, choose reusable containers and other alternatives to reduce #6 waste in the first place.

Reduce. Reuse. Check before you recycle. Questions? contact us at www.iowarecycles.org

09/28/2026

♻️ PLASTIC RECYCLING #5 — POLYPROPYLENE (PP)

Look for the #5 recycling symbol on items like yogurt cups, medicine bottles, food-storage containers, bottle caps, reusable cups, and some takeout packaging.

PP is lightweight, durable, and heat-resistant—and can be recycled into new containers, automotive parts, storage products, and more.

But #5 doesn't automatically mean recyclable! Many communities accept some rigid #5 containers, while others do not. Flexible #5 packaging may also be excluded.

✅ Empty
✅ Clean
✅ Dry
📍 Always check your local recycling provider for what they accept.

And when possible, reuse durable containers before recycling them.

Recycling works best when the right material reaches the right recycling system. 🌎

09/17/2026

Iowa Recycling Association found this webinare to sound interesting and engaging. US Compsting Council Webinare a conversation on compost. September 30.

Re-posting:

Collaboration is essential to residential organics collection programs.
Nigel Deacon is an experienced collaborator—as Founder and Director of metroSTOR, he works with municipalities, housing providers, and haulers across North America and the UK to improve recycling and organics collection in shared residential environments. His work focuses on the practical challenges of multifamily collection, promoting the use of smart access systems and user-friendly infrastructure to remove barriers to participation and control contamination while making programs genuinely scalable.
To hear from Nigel and more expert speakers, join USCC's upcoming webinar "Residential Organics: Collection Strategies."
📅 Wednesday, September 30
🕑 1:00–2:00 PM ET
Register now: https://www.compostingcouncil.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=2085282&group=

Facebook Announcement: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19uKpAPGV7/

09/15/2026

Continuing our plastic discussion, we pick up with plastic #4.

♻️ Plastic #4 is LDPE (low-density polyethylene), found in grocery bags, produce bags, bread bags, plastic wrap, squeeze bottles, and other flexible packaging.

🚫 Keep #4 plastic bags and film out of your curbside recycling bin! They can get tangled in sorting equipment and cause problems at recycling facilities.

Some clean, dry plastic film can be recycled through specialized drop-off programs at participating retailers. Many big-box stores offer shopping-bag recycling bins near their front doors. Return your clean shopping bags and other accepted plastic film so they can be recycled into new bags and other products.♻

💡 When possible, choose reusable bags and containers—and always check your local recycling program before recycling.

09/09/2026

Continuing on our plastics journey, let's discuss plastics #3 —
PVC (best known as Hard white plumbing plastic)

PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is commonly found in plumbing pipes, vinyl flooring, shower curtains, siding, and some packaging.

While durable and versatile, #3 PVC can be difficult to recycle because of the additives used to make it flexible, strong, or weather-resistant. Most curbside recycling programs do not accept PVC.

👉 Reuse is often the best option. Usable PVC pipe, flooring, and other construction materials may have a second life instead of heading to the landfill.

Remember: The number inside the triangle identifies the type of plastic—it does NOT mean the item is recyclable.

08/28/2026

♻️ KNOW THE NUMBERS: Plastics

Last week, we talked about the chasing arrows recycling symbol "♻️" found on plastics. Remember: just because you see that symbol doesn’t mean the item is recyclable—especially when it comes to plastics.

So, what IS recyclable?

Over the next month, we’ll take a closer look at plastics and Know the Numbers!

Most rigid plastic containers carry a small triangle with a number from 1 through 7. This is called the Resin Identification Code (RIC). The number tells you what type of plastic—or resin—the item is made from. It does NOT guarantee that the item is recyclable.

Let’s start with the two plastics most commonly accepted in recycling programs:

🔹 #1 — PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate)
Think clear plastic water and beverage/soda bottles.

🔹 #2 — HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene)
Think opaque (not see through) or colored bottles used for milk, detergent, shampoo and other household products.

These two plastics are recycled more consistently because they are produced in large quantities and have established markets that turn them into new bottles, containers, fibers and other products.

And don’t forget the cap! 👇

If the cap twists off, empty the container, give it a quick rinse, put the cap back on, and recycle the container with the cap attached. Many recycling programs accept plastic caps along with their containers. (Loose caps are called "littles" and often create more hazards. Attached to the bottle it is safe from creating challenges.)

👉 LOOK FOR #1 AND #2.
Empty it. Rinse it. Cap it. Recycle it.

Stay tuned as we work our way through #1– #7 and learn what those numbers really mean! ♻️

08/28/2026

♻️ Scholarship Opportunity: RCon® 2026 in St. Louis!

Our Iowa partner, the Iowa Society of Solid Waste Operations (ISOSWO), is offering a scholarship to attend RCon® 2026, September 29–October 2 in St. Louis, Missouri.

RCon brings together waste and resource management professionals for technical training, networking, roundtable discussions, and educational sessions covering today’s most important issues in solid waste management, sustainability, recycling, and composting.

🎓 Interested? Don’t miss the deadline!
Applications are due Monday, August 31, and applicants must be current ISOSWO members.

👉 Learn more about the ISOSWO RCon Scholarship
https://www.isoswo.org/rcon-scholarship?ss_source=sscampaigns&ss_campaign_id=6a5e24531f97c92a15f5e45d&ss_email_id=6a60e777909806014e81a03c&ss_campaign_name=Member+Newsletter&ss_campaign_sent_date=2026-07-22T15%3A53%3A32Z)

👉 Explore RCon® 2026 https://swana.org/events/rcon2026

This is a great opportunity to learn, connect, and bring new ideas back to Iowa!

08/21/2026

It's that time of year again! 🗳️

Cast your vote for the new slate of incoming Iowa Recycling Association board members!

Ballots are due September 1, 2026. Your voice matters, and we encourage all IRA members to take a moment to participate in this year's election.

For the candidate slate, voting information, and more, visit our website:
https://www.iowarecycles.org/board-of-directors-election/

Make your voice heard. Cast your vote! ♻️

Board of Directors Election