Why does GJ CRI ask customers to separate plastics, metals, etc. when other cities have commingled pick-up?
Grand Junction curbside recycling customers are asked to sort materials into four categories: 1) Glass, 2) Paper, 3) Corrugated, and 4) Metal and Plastic containers. Pre-sorting insures that the material is marketable and reduces on-the-job injuries to recycling workers. Mixed materials cannot be marketed. Paper mills recycle paper, not glass, and steel mills don’t want plastic in their mix. Major cities and large national companies with lots of financial backing have what are called MRF’s (material recovery facilities), set up to sort materials mechanically. These are typically 3-4 million dollars just to build. Operational costs are enormous. The City of Grand Junction has no such facility. Instead, almost everything must be manually separated. It is much faster and easier for the individual to do the initial sorting in the kitchen. It is also safer. We have had serious injuries of our workers trying to remove lids from glass bottles or sort glass from steel. Glass can explode like a
