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Iowa Recycling Directory Instructions

How to Use This Directory
The Iowa Recycling Directory is designed to assist those interested in locating recycling opportunities for materials they have available. The directory also provides some information about recycling of each each commodity listed. In some categories, contact names are provided if the event users have questions.

It probably goes without saying that if you plan to use this directory, you already understand the importance of recycling. Recycling diverts valuable resources from Iowa's landfills, and creates jobs and economic opportunities though new product markets. Recycling also decreases the use of natural resources and energy.

Source: Recycle Iowa

Companies that collect, process, or are end-users of recyclable materials are searchable by commodity, county, company name, or Iowa Waste Exchange service area.

The alphabetical company listing provides a contact person (if available), an address, phone, fax (if available), email and Web page address (if available), and the types of materials the company handles. Specific information regarding the minimum and maximum amount of materials the company accepts and the forms of material accepted (baled, loose, grannulated, etc.) are listed. It is very important to contact companies before delivering any materials to verify specifications, including price.

The information in this directory was collected through a written survey questionnaire completed by the company or organization. The DNR, the Recycle Iowa office, and the Iowa Waste Exchange have made made effort to provide accurate and complete information. None of these organizations endorse or sponsor any of the businesses or organizations listed in this directory. Any ommissions are unintentional.

If you wish to add or edit the information about your company's materials, or would like your company or organization information removed from the directory, please contact Bill Blum

If you are unable to locate a commodity listing in your area, please review neighboring counties for potential recycling services. For additional information, please contact Bill Blum

Search the Iowa Recycling Directory.

More information on recycling opportunities for recyclable materials:

Beverage Bottle and Can Redemption Centers
The Iowa Beverage Container Deposit Law became effective on August 1, 1979. Iowa is one of the ten states with container deposits. Iowans redeem nearly 87 percent of all deposit containers, returning much of glass, aluminium and No. 1 plastic (PET-polyethylene terapthalate) from these containers to the recycling loop.

Consumers can redeem empty beverage containers in the following ways:

  1. Return to retailers who sell that brand, size and kind.
  2. Return at redemption centers approved by the DNR to redeem containers for retailers.
  3. Return at redemption centers operating withour DNR approval (legal, but does not relieve retailers of their obligations).
  4. Return at facilities established by the beer distributors to redeem "refused empty metal beverage containers"(crushed cans).
Benefits of recycling beverage containers:
  • Manufacturers and consumers contribute to the production of a quality container.
  • Reduction in cost.
  • Saves energy.
  • Conserves resources.
  • Lessens demands on landfill space.
  • Aluminium cans can be recycled and made into new cans over and over.
  • Aluminium cans boast the highest percentage of post-consumer recycled content.
All containers must be clean and the refund marking must be visible.

For assistance with the Beverage Container Deposit Law, please contact Bill Blum

Source: http://www.cancentral.com/

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Brown Goods and Accessories

Materials listed in this section include:
Brass Catalytic Converters
Copper Floppy Disks
Gold Iron
Microfilm/Fiche Photographic Film
Scrap Metal Sludge
Steel Tin Video Cassettes
Zinc

Tin cans are actually 99 percent steel, with a thin layer of tin added to prevent rusting. At least 70 to 80 percent of the tin on a can is saved when you recycle it.

Although there are eight precious metals, those most commonly recycled are silver, gold and platinum. The primary source of scrap silver are microfilm, x-ray film and certain button-cell batteries. Gold is reclaimed from many electronic appliances, especially circuit boards. The predominant source of scrap platinum is catalytic converters.

For more assistance with Exotic Metal centers in your area, please contact Bill Blum

Source: http://www.fm.virginia.edu/FMHome/default.asp

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Construction and Demolition

Materials listed in this section include:
Asphalt Drywall
Asphalt Shingles Carpet
Concrete Carpet Pad

Construction wastes include waste building materials, packaging, and rubble resulting from construction, remodeling and repair of buildings and roads. Many outlets exist for recycling construction wastes once sorted in various material streams such as metal, wood and cardboard. Local recyclers of asphalt and concrete may include construction material companies, sand and gravel producers, and asphalt plants.

Reuse Options
Several businesses salvage good quality, used building materials including beams, cabinets, flooring, doors, windows, lighting and plumbing fixtures and hardware. To locate companies that offer this service, please refer to the US West Yellow Pages under "Antiques", "Building Materials-Used" or "Salvage". A number of non-profit organizations, such as Habitat for Humanity, accept building parts in good condition. Another option is to contact the Iowa Waste Exchange at (319) 273-2079. The Iowa Waste Exchange is a free service helping businesses find a market for their wastes and surplus materials.

End-Uses
Vinyl and metal items such as PVC piping, aluminum siding and steel are typically generated in small quantities but have good recycling value. As with most recyclables, sorting the metals is more valuable than saving mixed scrap metal. One option for contractors to improve the cost-effectiveness of recycling these materials is to stockpile unused materials and arrange for backhauling to a supplier.

Asphalt shingles are most commonly used on slanted residential roofs. Built-up roofing consists of layers of roofing felt between layers of tar and gravel and is traditionally used on flat commercial roofs. These two materials form the majority of the waste coming from roof replacement, repair or demolition jobs.

Cardboard waste is increasing on most jobsites as more components, such as windows and cabinets, are shipped to builders over long distances. Outlets for corrugated cardboard are listed under "Papers".

The post-consumer carpet industry continues to evolve. The face fiber of carpet is almost always one of several nylon resins, and nylon fibers from different carpet brands cannot be mixed to produce a high-quality-end-product. The many types of backings on carpet, such as jute, rubber or polypropylene present further recycling challenges.
Concrete is a combination of cement and aggregate such as crushed stone, sand or grit. The first step of recycling is to crush the concrete and separate any reinforcing bar or mesh. The crushed concrete is primarily used as roadbase gravel. If crushed concrete meets size specifications, it can also be made into aggregate combined with asphalt or cement. Broken concrete that is large and uniformly sized is sometimes used for bank erosion control for roadway construction projects and over pass embankments as well as for shoreline wave erosion control.

Benefits of recycling construction and demolition materials:

  • Recycling building materials from demolition and renovation projects, such as asphalt, concrete and building materials is more economical than disposal and can result in a lower bid price for the project.
  • Recycling asphalt and concrete provides a source of crushed stone product and reduces the cost of new material.
  • Saves landfill space.
  • Income is generated from the sale of scrap rebar (steel concrete reinforcing bar), copper piping, and used bricks.
  • Cost savings in landfill tipping fees.
  • Cost savings in transportation when material is re-used on site.
  • Conserves resources.
  • Plumbing and lighting fixtures can be sold to fixture reclamation vendors.

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Re-use and Recycling of Drums
Drums include fiber drums, metal drums, and plastic drums. When empty drums are no longer reusable, they can often be reconditioned or recycled. Drums can range in size from five gallon pails to 55-90 gallon drums. Empty drums, until properly rinsed, should be stored and handled as if the drums were still full. Rinse waters will contain the residues from the drums; therefore, proper treatment of rinse water is essential. Typically, a reconditioner or recycler will require the drums to be completely empty and containers of hazardous materials (such as pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, etc.) to be triple-rinsed.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency defines drum reconditioning, regulated by 49 CFR 173.28 (c), as the process of stripping a metal drum down to the bare metal, removing all contents, paint, corrosion, and labels. The drum is then restored to its original shape and inspected for pitting, reduction in material thickness, metal fatigue, damaged threads or closures, or other significant defects. Drums that pass inspection can be painted and marked according to 49 CFR 178. Plastic drums are reconditioned by repair or replacement of non-integral packaging components to a condition such that it conforms in all respects with the prescribed requirements of 49 CFR 178.

There are several reasons to ensure the re-use and recycling of drums:

  • Re-use and recycling of drums has the potential of removing 100% of drums from landfilling. Some drums have liners of LDPE #4 plastic which can be removed and recycled.
  • Re-using drums saves the cost of purchasing new drums.
  • Recycling of drums prevents drums from becoming hazardous waste.
  • Avoids hazardous waste transportation and disposal costs.
  • Recycling drums generates income.
Source: Joint Service Pollution Prevention Opportunity Handbook

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Fluorescent Lamps and Mercury

Materials listed in this section include:
Fluorescent Lamps HID (High-intensity discharge) Lamps
PCB Ballasts Mercury

Discarded fluorescent lamps and other lighting products that may contain mercury (HID, high-pressure sodium, mercury vapor, and metal halide lamps) are considered hazardous waste and must be recycled at an approved recycling facility or disposed of at an approved hazardous waste facility. Used fluorescent light tube disposal in municipal landfills is considered the second largest source of mercury pollution entering the environment. Some manufacturers, however, have recently developed a fluorescent tube that is not a hazardous waste. Those tubes are identified by the green end caps and may be disposed of in a landfill. Generators of non-hazardous lamps are still encouraged to recycle them instead of using landfill disposal.

The recycling of fluorescent lights and high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps is a proven technology capable of reliably recovering greater than 99 percent of the mercury in spent lights. This is done by using a crush-and-sieve method. In this process, the spent tubes are first crushed and then sieved to separate the large particles from the mercury-containing phosphor powder.

Benefits of recycling fluorescent light tubes and mercury:

  • Keeps the potentially toxic materials out of landfills.
  • Saves landfill space.
  • Reduces raw materials production needs.
For assistance with fluorescent lamps and mercury please contact Kathleen Hennings, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division, at (515) 281-5859.

Source: Joint Service Pollution Prevention Opportunity Handbook

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Glass

Materials listed in this section include:
Clear (Flint) Glass Green Glass
Brown (Amber) Glass Mixed Glass
Plate Glass Auto Glass

Food and beverage glass containers can be reused or recycled. Windows, mirrors, and other non-recyclable glass can be crushed for use as aggregate in construction projects. A simple glass recycling program requires no processing equipment. All food and beverage containers made from glass are recyclable, even if they have no deposit value.

Recyclable glass is clear, brown or green. The highest demand is for clear glass, followed by brown or amber. The primary market for recycled glass is in the manufacture of container glass. End-Uses and Quality Control Guidelines for Glass Containers Recycled glass, also known as cullet, is combined with soda ash, limestone and sand to create "new" glass. It is important to know the kind of glass manufacturers accept. The cullet is generally sold to glass benefaction facilities where it is cleaned and processed to meet the quality standards of glass container manufacturers.

Glass manufacturers require cullet that is separated by color--clear, amber (brown) or green. Sorting glass by color helps manufacturers ensure the quality and color consistency of new containers. Ideally, citizens should color-sort glass at the curb. That is the easiest and best place to separate glass by color. Community recycling programs that allow for mixed glass pickup may trade convenience for marketability. Even if color separation does not happen at the curb, colors and contaminants should be sorted out early in the process. Once the cullet becomes broken or mixed, contaminants are difficult to remove and can spoil the quality of an entire load.
Contaminants are a risk to the glass manufacturer because they can slow down production, produce defective glass and damage glass manufacturing equipment.

Glass that can be recycled includes all container such as soda bottles, beer bottles, food containers and home canning jars.

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Glass Continued...

Materials that contaminate cullet include:
Ceramic cups, plates and pottery Laboratory glass
Clay garden pots Lead colors from wines/champagne bottles
Drinking glasses Light bulbs
Hazardous glass containers (i.e. acid containers) Metal caps, lids and neck rings
Heat-resistant ovenware (i.e. Pyrex) Mirrors
Stones and dirt Windshields and window glasses

End-Uses for Mixed Cullet and Non-Container Glass In comparison, mixed cullet and non-container glass, such as pyrex, plate and window glass, have a lower demand and revenue potential. Glass manufacturers have limits on the amount of mixed cullet they can use for manufacturing new containers-and generally, they prefer not to buy it. Other markets for mixed glass and non-container glass are growing. But, currently, they are limited. Examples of uses for mixed cullet and non-container glass include road base construction, pipe backfill, storm drains, decorative tile, sandblasting abrasive and fiberglass insulation.

Benefits of Recycling Glass:

  • Glass never wears out-it can be recycled forever.
  • Reduces pollution by 14-20 percent.
  • Reduces the volume of waste disposal in landfills.
  • Achieves cost savings from reduced landfill disposal fees.
  • Generates revenue from sale of recyclable glass.
  • Reduces the purchase of aggregate for construction.
Returnable bar bottles can be less expensive than disposables.

Sources: Joint Service Pollution Prevention Opportunity Handbook
Excerpted from the Glass Packing Institute World Wide Web Home Page and reprinted from the Minnesota Recycling Directory, Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance

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Metals

Materials listed in this section include:
Aluminium Tin food cans
Industrial Ferrous Industrial Non-Ferrous
Auto

Common Items Recycled and End-Uses
Ferrous refers to magnetic metals which are predominantly composed of iron. Non-ferrous metals refers to non-magnetic metals such as aluminum, copper, brass and bronze.

Lead-containing products include automobile parts, electronics, plumbing fixtures, fishing weights, lead pipe and wheel weights.

Often referred to as "tin cans", steel cans are actually made of steel covered with a thin layer of tin. Steel cans include beverage, aerosol and paint cans. Bi-metal cans have aluminum tops and steel sides and bottoms. The primary markets for steel cans are detinners, steel mills and iron foundries.

For more assistance with metals, please contact Bill Blum

Source: Wisconsin Recycling Markets Directory, Prepared by Wisconsin DNR

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Miscellaneous
Auto fluff is shredded residue from auto manufacturing.

Fly ash is a fine ash residue left after trash is burned in an incinerator, which can be carried in the air. It can contain harmful or toxic substances such as dioxins, lead and mercury.

Furniture and other unwanted household goods can have a life again if they are donated to charitable organizations such as Goodwill Industries. These organizations will sort, repair and sell unwanted items in thrift stores. Broken items are fixed and scrap materials (like worn-out textiles) are sold for recycling.

Toner cartridges are easily recycled, refilled or rebuilt. Some companies, such as Hewlett-Packard, include a postage paid return label with each cartridge. Both laser and ink jet cartridges can be refilled about half a dozen times.

Polypropylene is a man-made fiber used in packaging rice, sugar, men's dress shirts, fertilizer, beans, flour, sand, coal and feed.

General Facts
Individuals often pollute more than businesses. The heaviest application of agricultural chemicals in the United States comes from home gardens. Items such as poisons, paints, solvents, cleaners, and herbicides must not be put in the garbage because water seeps through landfills and these hazardous wastes end up polluting the ground water. Check with local recyclers for disposal of household hazardous wastes or contact Bill Blum

Source: http://www.obviously.com/recycle/guides/common.html

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Motor Vehicle Items

Materials listed in this section include:
Antifreeze Crank Case Oil
Cutting Oil/Coolants Lead Acid Batteries
Motor Oil Oil Filters
Transmission Oil

Ninety-five percent of all automotive lead acid batteries are recovered and recycled. Virtually any place that sells batteries will take them back.

Used motor oil contains heavy metals and other toxic substances and is considered hazardous waste. Every year do-it-yourself oil changers improperly dump more oil than the tanker Exxon Valdez spilled in the Prince William Sound. Recycling motor oil is simple. Place used motor oil into a plastic milk jug and label accordingly. Many quick lube shops will accept the used oil such as Jiffy Lube and Valvoline. You can call 1-800-MOTOR OIL for the location of the nearest Valvoline First Recovery Center. In addition, many auto stores accept motor oil. Do not mix antifreeze with motor oil as it pollutes the motor oil. Never place used motor oil in a container which has contained other chemicals.

For more information on how to locate local markets and other locations taking motor vehicle materials please contact Bill Blum for the Iowa Automotive Directory.

Source: http://www.obviously.com/recycle/guides/hard.html

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Organics
Organic materials include such things as leaves and grass, brush, tree stumps, animal waste, feed, carcasses, offal, fats or bones, blood, feathers, food wastes, grease and industrial sludges. Organic materials can be composted and used as a soil supplement. Compost includes food and yard waste, and it is placed in a special container called a compost bin, available at garden stores and nurseries. In a matter of weeks, the material can be used for garden soil or adding to house plants. Composting can reduce the volume of material a household sends to a landfill by half.

The State of Iowa by law (Code of Iowa, Chapter 455D.9) prohibits disposal of yard waste in landfills. The Iowa Administrative Code provides rules for yard waste disposal and solid waste composting facilities (Code 567, Chapter 105). Chapter 121 of the Administrative Code deals with land application of certain types of industrial solid waste in the form of sludge that may be land applied directly.

Because yard waste cannot be disposed of in a landfill, many communities operate a yard waste disposal site. If you have questions about how to dispose of your yard waste, contact your city hall.

If you need to know whether a specific operation requires a permit, contact Becky Jolly, Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

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Paper

Materials listed in this section include:
Books Boxboard (chipboard, paperboard)
Colored Ledger Corrugated Containers
Computer Printout Magazines/Catalogs
Mixed Paper-Residential(paper collected from households, may include boxboard, cardboard, catalogs, coated/glossy paper, kraft paper (paper bags from a grocery store), magazines, newsprint, packaging and stationary) Mixed Paper-Office (may include boxboard, cardboard, catalogs, coated/glossy paper, computer paper, copy paper, kraft paper, magazines, newsprint, notebooks and post-it notes)
Newspaper Telephone directories
Waxed Corrugated Containers

There are numerous grades of scrap paper. Below are listed some of the common grades. This directory provides only general guidelines. When determining what grades to sort by, consider that mixing high grade paper with low grade paper reduces the value of the load.

Boxboard:Consists of paperboard used in the manufacture of folding cartons and some boxes.

Groundwood Computer Paper (CPO):Consists of groundwood papers, which are commonly used for forms. This type of paper may contain colored stripes.

Office Paper, High Grade:Consists of paper containing primarily white and pastel-colored paper. Groundwood paper and neon colored paper are often considered a contaminant within this grade. Office Paper, Mixed: Consists of various low-value types of paper, such as newspaper, neon-colored paper, fax paper, envelopes with plastic windows, adhesive labels, and old mail.

Old Corrugated Cardboard (OCC):Corrugated boxes are made from unbleached, unwaxed paper with a ruffled (corrugated) inner liner. Wax coated boxes and boxboard may be contaminants.

Old Magazines (OMG):Consists of coated magazines, catalogs and similar printed materials.

Old Newsprint (ONP) #6:Consists of newspaper typically generated from curbside collection.

Old Newsprint (ONP) #8:Consists of sorted newspaper only. Junk mail is a contaminant.

Reprinted with permission from: Minnesota Recycling Directory, Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance.

Current demand for paper products is at a lull. A large supply of recycled paper still exists in the market. Consumers can help improve markets by purchasing products made with recycled content.

Source: Recycled Iowa

Paper and paperboard account for more than 60 percent of all materials diverted from the municipal solid waste stream for recycling and composting, according to the American Forest and Paper Association. Less paper is going to landfills. Old newspapers are used again to make new newsprint as well as other products.

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Pesticide Containers
Environmental awareness has led to increased awareness about the need to recycle pesticide containers, because they are often disposed of improperly or unnecessarily in sanitary landfills.

In Iowa, a joint venture has been developed between the Agribusiness Association, the Iowa Department of Agriculture, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and numerous Iowa landfills to allow plastic pesticide containers to be collected for recycling.

Containers are collected each year, free of charge, by participating landfills beginning May 1 through September 30. The program is also free to the landfills that act as drop-off sites. Containers must be triple rinsed and have a hole punched in the bottom of the container to prove they have been emptied and rinsed. Plastic label sleeves and caps must be removed, and the outside of the container must be cleaned before it can be accepted by the landfill.

The plastic containers are picked up by a contracted company that recycles the containers into a variety of different products, including pallets. The Iowa Department of Agriculture monitors each of the landfill sites on a rotating basis every three years to ensure there is no site contamination caused by the containers.

For information about landfill locations accepting pesticide containers, or to become a pesticide container drop-off site, contact Mona Bond of the Agribusiness Association at (515) 262-8323.

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Plastics

Materials listed in this section include:
PET (polyethylene terephthalate)
HDPE (high density polyethylene)
PVC (polyvinyl chloride)
LDPE (low density polyethylene)
PP (polypropylene)
PS (polystyrene) Rigid
Polystyrene Peanuts

Industrial Plastics
ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene)
Polyurethane
Foam
Nylon
Pesticide Containers
Other Industrial Plastics

Identifying Plastics
The variety of plastics available for use in products and packaging is very diverse. The Society of Plastic Industry, Inc. has developed a coding system to identify plastics by resin types. The resin codes are molded onto the bottom of most plastic containers larger than eight ounces and are distinguished as follows:

Polythylene Terephthalate (PET or PETE):Often referred to as No. 1 plastic, PET is used in soft drink bottles and other molded containers, although sheet specifications are increasing. Cleaned, recycled PET flakes and pellets are also used for spinning fiber for carpet yarns and producing fiberfill and geotextiles. Other applications include strapping, molding compounds, food and non-food containers.

High Density Polyethylene (HDPE): Often referred to as No. 2 plastic, HDPE is used to make plastic bottles, milk cartons and other products. Blow-molded plastic is used to make milk, juice, water and laundry product bottles. Injection-molded HDPE is used to make containers such as margarine tubs and yogurt cups.
There are strong markets for No. 1 and No. 2 plastics across the country because manufacturers use these plastics to make a wide variety of products.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC): Vinyl products can be broadly divided into rigid and flexible materials. Rigid applications, accounting for 60 percent of total vinyl production, are concentrated in construction markets, which include siding, pipe, carpet backing and windows. Bottles and packaging sheets are also major rigid markets. Flexible vinyl is used in wire and cable installation, film and sheet, floor coverings, synthetic leather products, coatings, blood bags, and medical tubing. This is often referred to as No. 3 plastic.

Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE):Often referred to as No. 4 plastic, this is used predominantly in film applications, such as those used for plastic retail bags, garment dry cleaning and grocery bags. LDPE is also commonly used in applications where heat sealing is necessary due to its low melting point.

Polypropylene (PP): Often referred to as No. 5 plastic, this cracks easily when bent. It is found in such food items as margarine and yogurt containers, caps for containers, and large molded parts for automotive and consumer products. It is hard to collect in marketable quantities for recycling and has limited uses in its recycled form.

Polystyrene (PS): Often referred to as No. 6 plastic, polystyrene can be rigid or foamed. General purpose polystyrene is clear, hard and brittle. Typical applications include containers, lids, cups, bottles, trays and tumblers. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is white, porous, and can be broken by exerting slight pressure. Polystyrene is used for fast food packaging, styrofoam cups and packing peanuts.

Other: Multi-resin containers. Often referred to as No. 7 plastic.

Industrial Plastics
ABS (Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene): ABS is used in a wide range of applications including office business machines, refrigerator lines and camper tops.

Acetal: Used in such items as automotive electrical switches, valves, fans, conveyors, shower heads, toys, and cassette parts.

Acrylic: Acrylic sheets are used in swimming pool enclosures, bank security barriers, skylights, and lighted signs. End uses for acrylic molding and extrusion compounds include medical and dental disposables and sunglass lenses.

Polycarbonate (PC): Rigid, high performance plastic often used in items such as compact discs, and in exterior body parts such as bumpers, body panels and exterior trim.

Nylon Resin: Pure nylon, or nylon blends used in films, injection molded products and other forms.

Polyurethane (PUR): Examples of products include flexible PUR foams (carpet padding and furniture cushioning), rigid PUR forms (insulation-related products), thermoset and thermoplastic elastomers, automotive reaction injection molding, exterior body parts and other products.

Reprinted with permission from Minnesota Recycling Director, Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance.

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Textiles

Materials listed in this section include:
Mixed Textiles
Shoe Textiles
Linen Textiles
Clothing Textiles

Used clothing in good condition, other usable fabrics, or used furniture can be donated or sold to thrift stores, used furniture stores, consignment shops or charitable organizations. Look in the US West Yellow Pages. By donating or consigning used items, you reap the benefits of keeping resources out of the landfill and receive a tax deduction or money for your items.
Clothing that does not sell locally is likely to be sold to an international broker for the overseas market. Torn or scrap textiles are typically sold to rag companies for processing into wiping cloths, which are sold to gas stations, print shops, and janitorial services. Many leather products can be used or recycled as well.

Source: Recycle Iowa and Business Waste Reduction & Recycling, Wisconsin DNR.

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Tire Collection/Processing Facilities

Materials listed in this section include:
Tires
Bias-Ply Tires
Tire Casings
Industrial Tires
Shredded Tires
Butyl Inner Tubes

Approximately one waste tire per Iowan is generated each year. Improper disposal of waste tires threatens public health and the environment. Land disposal of whole waste tires has been banned in Iowa since 1991. Tires processed into pieces no longer than 18 inches on any side may be landfilled; however, many recycling opportunities exist for waste tires. In 1996, according to Environmental Systems of America, Inc., 202 million scrap tires were recovered for a 75.6 percent recycling rate. Fifteen million scrap tires were exported from the United States, and 152 million scrap tires were used to make tire-derived fuel.

The major markets for waste tires can be classified into three categories:
Tire-derived fuel (TDF)
Civil engineering applications
Ground rubber products

Whole or shredded waste tires are being used by cement kilns, electric utilities, and industrial boilers as supplemental fuel. TDF has a higher heat rating by weight than most types of coal, and has resulted in a net decrease of emissions for many users.

Whole tires can be used to construct artificial reefs and crash barriers. Shredded or chopped tires have engineering properties that provide significant benefits in applications including: a lightweight fill material in road construction; a thermal insulation layer for reducing problems with frost heave in gravel roads; a low-density backfill in highway retaining wall projects, and as an aggregate substitute in leachate collection systems in landfills and septic fields. Waste tires processed into ground or crumb rubber can be used in the manufacturing of new products such as athletic surfaces, floor tiles and mats, railroad crossing pads, carpet underlay, and as an additive in asphalt paving material.

Collection sites generally accept whole waste tires for temporary storage before sending them to a processing facility. Processing facilities accept waste tires for shredding or grinding into a final product or as raw material. Most processing facilities accept delivered tires and have transport capabilities to pick up tires from collection sites.

For additional assistance with general tire disposal or disposal of large quantities of tires, please contact Bill Blum.

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Waste Transporters
This section of the Iowa Recycling Directory contains a listing of hazardous waste management companies primarily servicing business and industry. The companies listed here may be able to assist with proper management of hazardous wastes. However, the listing does not recommend nor endorse any company.

Hazardous waste in Iowa is governed by the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Iowa is one of only two states that does not administer its state RCRA hazardous waste program. The Iowa program is administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region VII office in Kansas City, Kansas.

While Iowa staff will refer hazardous waste questions if you call, you may wish to contact EPA directly about regulatory hazardous waste concerns. For assistance, call EPA Region VII at 913/551-7058 or the RCRA national hotline at 800/424-9346.

Typical concerns that should be directed to EPA include questions about hazardous waste manifests, EPA site identification numbers, Iowa's hazardous waste program (not including household hazardous wastes), and hazardous waste storage.

Small businesses with questions about hazardous waste management and regulations should contact the Iowa Waste Reduction Center (IWRC) at 800/422-3109.

To report hazardous substance spills in Iowa, regardless of quantity, call (515) 281-8694. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources answers this number 24 hours daily.

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White Goods and Accessories

Materials listed in this section include:
Appliances
Computers
Computer Monitors
Circuit Boards
Magnetic Tapes
Diskettes
Compact Discs

White Goods
White goods is a generic term for obsolete major appliances, such as refrigerators, water heaters, and stoves. White goods require special handling and processing at landfills. Three byproducts: polychlorinated byphenyl (PCB) capacitors, refrigerants, and mercury components (switches, thermocouples), must be removed from white goods before they are processed for recycling or disposal. Care must be taken to not damage the refrigerant lines, capacitors or mercury components in stockpiled white goods.

Capacitor Removal Registration
Any facility (landfill) or white good processor that removes PCB capacitors must be registered with the DNR. For information, contact Theresa Stiner with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Refrigerant Removal
Anyone removing refrigerants from white goods must comply with EPA regulations on refrigerant recycling and emissions control as specified in 40 CFR, Part 82. Any questions on EPA refrigerant removal or capture should be addressed to Alice Law of EPA at 913/551-7623.

Mercury Removal
Anyone removing components containing mercury from white goods must comply with EPA hazardous waste regulations. Contact the Iowa Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) branch of EPA at 913/551-7861.

Source: Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance

Programs targeting the recovery and recycling of computers and electronics generally focus on appliances containing the following components that pose environmental problems or contain precious metals worthy of recovery:

  • Cathode ray tubes, which contain lead, cadmium and other metals
  • Printed circuit boards, which contain chromium, lead, beryllium, mercury, cadmium, nickel and zinc
  • Batteries, which contain nickel-cadmium, mercury, lead and nickel metal hydride
  • Mercury-bearing components, such as relays and switches
  • PCB-bearing components, such as capacitors manufactured before 1978
  • Computer chips, which contain recoverable silver and gold
The computer and electronics industry is one of rapid obsolescence, particularly for software, which creates large quantities of other functional computer components.

According to The Consumer Recycling Guide, several processors now recycle computer floppy disks. Unsold software is disassembled and separated into paper, plastic and disks. The disks are erased, formatted, tested, labeled and reused.

If you want to recycle or donate an old computer, look in the US West Yellow Pages or on the Internet for companies that recycle computers or donate your computer to a charitable organization.

Compact discs can be repaired or traded in at a music store or donated to charity. Obsolete or unrepairable compact discs can be recycled.

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Wood

Materials listed in this section include:
Non-Treated Wood
Treated Wood
Pallets
Sawdust

Wood wastes are typically the largest fraction of waste materials generated by construction and demolition projects. Lumber can be salvaged for reuse. Many uses for recycled wood include animal bedding, landscape mulch, composting bulking agent, and fuel. The challenge is to segregate and remove contaminants that may render the wood waste unmarketable. Adhesives, coatings, and preservatives may contain toxic materials so most recyclers will not accept these items.

Source: Minnesota Recycling Directory, reprinted with permission.

Pallets
Pallets are made from a combination of hard and softwoods. The most commonly used hardwoods are oak, yellow poplar, alder, and a combination of basswood, aspen, and cottonwood. Common softwoods include southern pine and Douglas fir.

Recycled pallets are used for poultry litter, livestock bedding, fuel, mulch, soil amendment, particleboard furnish, pulp furnish and charcoal furnish.

Source: Environmental Systems of America, Inc.

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DNR Contact
Bill Blum
(515)281-8176
Bill.Blum@dnr.iowa.gov

 

 

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