City of Pocatello opens new recycling center

The following is a news release and photo from the city of Pocatello.

POCATELLO — The city of Pocatello recently purchased the Western Recycling Center located at 3034 Garrett Way, a move that underscores the city’s commitment to sustainability and the environment.

Recycling is an integral part of our community’s efforts to reduce waste and conserve resources. With the city now directly managing the Recycling Center, curbside recycling will continue as normal, with the Recycling Center remaining operational, and drop-off recycling has expanded.

A question the city gets asked a lot is, “Where does the recycling go?” The curbside single-stream recycling, which includes certain plastics, aluminum, paper, and cardboard, goes to a material recovery facility in Boise, where it is sorted and sold on the global market. When cardboard is brought in as a single commodity the city sends it straight to paper mills in Oregon or other areas to be recycled. Our glass recycling program delivers its material to a recycling facility in Salt Lake City.

Did you know (FY2024):

In an effort to enhance and protect the recycling processes, we ask residents to be mindful of contaminants when placing items in the recycling bins. Some of the largest contaminants seen in the city’s recycling material are plastic bags, plastic wrap, and Styrofoam. None of these are accepted and should be thrown away. Another contaminant is plastic or Styrofoam clamshell containers used for eggs, fruits, deli food, or take-out. These containers should be thrown away as well. When in doubt, throw it out.

For more information visit pocatello.gov/395/Recycling-Programs. The City thanks you for your continued support and dedication to keeping Pocatello green and clean. Together, we can make a significant impact on our environment and create a more sustainable future for our community.