LaPorte County citizens, overall, do a great job of recycling.

With that said, here are some tips and reminders to help even more.

Seems like we keep issuing the old “have your bin at the curb by 6 a.m. information” on a regular basis. We keep repeating it over and over in the hopes that we might get our message clearly across to our recyclers.

The red or blue bin delivered to you by us must be at the curb with any additional containers which are clearly marked RECYCLING.

Please also note that even though you can haul recycling to the curb in a cart quite easily, the drivers must be able to lift those containers above waist height to empty them. No metal 55 gallon drums filled with lightweight material or 30 gallon plastic cans FILLED with magazines are allowed, please.

Your recycling driver has about 250 stops each recycling day and he/she is trusting you to only put recycling in your bins. We have seen containers with GARBAGE in them. Garbage contaminates your recycling as well as the truck load. DO NOT USE any container that contained garbage for your recycling.

Drivers are now writing down the time they pick up recycling on each road and street. If everyone on your street has been picked up and you have not, it usually isn’t because the driver has missed you. It could be that the bin was hidden and not clearly visible from the road, you didn’t use your red or blue container from us, or the bin was not out on time – 6 a.m.

Try putting recycling out the night before pick up – it really does work.

As always, if you have any questions, we are as near as your phone.

On September 7th, a group from LaPorte and Porter counties gathered for a bus ride to Homewood, Illinois, where much of our recycling is taken for baling and distribution. This day of discovery was provided by our contract recycling hauler, Able Disposal with Mr. Jim Smith as our official guide.