Multiple ways to recycle around Yuma County

Ever wonder how to recycle your plastics and other materials in Yuma County?

The county has transfer sites, or places where residents can bring items to recycle - and it's free.

Hugh Hendren, deputy director of public works for Yuma County, said it's important that these materials aren't just thrown out.

"Everything that's recycled is that much less demand on raw materials and natural resources," Hendren said.

It not only helps replace the need for new raw materials, but recycling also keeps the items that can be recycled out of the landfills.

The county has transfer sites in Dateland, Tacna and Wellton. The county's busiest and largest site is near Yuma.

The Yuma transfer site, which opened in the mid-1970s, is located on County 5th Street, one mile east of Avenue 7E (Laguna Dam Road). The site is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week, excluding some holidays. The county gets bids every quarter from companies that want to pay for the recyclable materials.

From July 2008 to May 2009, the Yuma County transfer sites took in 7,571 tons of waste, of which almost 33 percent was recycled.

At the site, residents can recycle car batteries, stoves and various electronics.

It's the electronics and items containing coolant that can be dangerous to the environment. That's an important reason to recycle them, Hendren said.

"This was one of the biggest problems we had at one time," he said about the items with coolant ending up in landfills before the transfer sites were opened.

And if people are wondering what to do with extra items around the house and they're not in the mood to hold a garage sale, they can even take household items such bicycles, sleeping bags or a barbecue grill to the site. Hendren said area nonprofits take turns collecting those items and are able to use them again.

He said every resident is allowed to dispose of five tires a year. Those tires eventually end up as fuel or are made into materials such as rubberized asphalt.

Residents can take all plastics, newspapers, small cardboard boxes and even metal food cans to the site, Hendren said.

There is also a place for green clippings, steel, metals and aluminium.

Hendren said construction debris can be used to help stop erosion of canals and drainage ditches.

Even though the cost of the commodities is dropping due to the poor economy, Hendren said the transfer sites break even. That way, it doesn't cost residents anything.

"If we can get it to where it doesn't cost anything, that's all we need."

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RECYCLING IN THE CITY OF YUMA

• Aluminum and steel cans: soda cans, soup cans, vegetable cans and more.
• Cardboard: old cartons, toy packaging and clean pizza boxes.
• Paper: newspapers, magazines, books, glossy sales papers and more.
• Plastics: milk and juice containers, detergent bottles and any other household plastics

LOCATIONS:
  • 13th Street and 2nd Avenue
  • 17th Street and 45th Avenue

Source: City of Yuma Web site

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Stephanie A. Wilken can be reached at swilken@yumasun.com or 539-6857.