Yolo County kicks off new food and beverage carton recycling services

YOLO COUNTY

The Yolo County Recycling Team from left to right: City of Winters Environmental Services Manager Kristine DeGuerre, City of West Sacramento Sustainability Manager Ryan Burnett, City of West Sacramento Sustainability Tech Rachel Arnoldy, Yolo County Recycling Supervisor Pamela Hedrick, City of West Sacramento Senior Waste Reduction Analyst Susan Strand, Yolo County Integrated Waste Management Division Director Marissa Juhler, Waste Management, Inc. Recycling Coordinator Kalysta Barrios. COURTESY PHOTOS

WM’s processing facility, compacted and baled mixed paper with cartons.

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Just in time for America Recycles Day, also known as National Recycling Day, held on Nov.15, the Yolo County Landfill announced that food and beverage cartons are now accepted in the recycling stream.

According to a local press release, residents serviced by WM in Woodland, West Sacramento, Winters, and Unincorporated Yolo County will be able to place cartons in their blue-lidded recycling bin beginning Friday, Nov.15.

Residential customers of Yolo County serviced by Recology in Davis, El Macero, North Davis Meadows and other rural pockets of Davis and Winters, will have access to drop-off cartons for recycling seven days a week, 24-hours a day, at 2727 Second Street in Davis, effective Dec. 1.

“We are excited to announce a new milestone in our efforts to reduce waste and promote sustainability in Yolo County,” stated Yolo County Director of Integrated Waste Division Marissa Juhler. “This initiative reflects our commitment to expanding recycling opportunities, protecting our environment, and supporting our economy. We encourage everyone to take advantage of this new program and help us keep Yolo County clean and green for future generations.”

This initiative comes in response to the growing demand for recycling services. Gable-top and aseptic cartons are made from a mix of paper, polyethylene, and aluminum (aseptic cartons).

These layers provide protection against light, air, and harmful bacteria, but do not prevent them from being recycled. The estimated quantity of gable top and aseptic cartons generated in California is roughly 70,000 tons each year, of which only 20% is recycled in the state, demonstrating an opportunity for additional recycling growth of this material.

Recycled cartons (milk cartons, soup cartons, juice boxes, etc.) provide the raw materials for building products, as well as paper products such as tissue paper and paper towels. Cities throughout the state, such as Napa, San Diego, San Francisco, and Oakland are already participating in carton recycling.

Cartons do not belong in trash carts since they are recyclable and are not to be placed in the organics bins since we do not want the plastic and aluminum layers contaminating the finished compost product. Therefore, source separation is necessary to ensure that all three waste streams are utilized correctly.

“The Carton Council is committed to increasing carton recycling so these valuable materials can go on to have a second life,” stated Vice President of Recycling for the Carton Council Jason Pelz. “We’re thrilled to see Yolo County join the growing number of communities adding cartons to their programs.”

For many waste service companies, it can be especially challenging and economically cost-prohibitive to add a bunker and optical sorter to their materials recovery facility, and for this reason, there have been delays in implementing such programs.

This is why WM and Recology have taken different approaches to carton recycling. The addition of carton materials to the recycling stream reflects WM’s $29 million investment in advanced recycling technology at the Sacramento Recycling and Transfer Station.

With 16 automated optical sorters, the upgraded facility captures and processes a greater percentage of recyclables. This improvement enables a cleaner, high-quality output that can be repurposed in meaningful ways, contributing to natural resource conservation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.