Robotics Club on recycling education mission

Story and photos by Jessica Vik

Wahkiakum 4-H Robotics Club went into the schools last week educating the kids on recycling. An assembly was held in the middle school for grades 6-8 with a skit on what and how to recycle and then they demonstrated some robots. In the elementary school they went into each classroom, 2-5 grades. The Robotics Club encourages the community to recycle using the color-coded bins at the Puget Island Fire Hall, Skamokawa Fire Hall, and Wahkiakum High School.

The safety green color is for Mixed Paper. This includes items like junk mail, magazines, colored paper, phone books, newspapers and cereal boxes. Items not ok to recycle in this bin are wax-coated paper like drinking cups and plates, foil-coated paper like food wrappers, paper contaminated with food, pizza boxes, juice and milk cartons, foam, plastic bags full of paper (use paper bags instead), and garbage bags.

The forest green color is for Plastics #1 and #2. Look on the container for a triangle with number 1 or 2 in it. Rinse, discard lids, and flatten. Items not ok to recycle in this bin are foam of any kind, plastic bags of any kind (Many people transport recyclables in plastic bags. Please dump contents out of bags and either discard or recycle bags at most grocery stores.), plastic wrap, plastics marked at #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, most cheap water bottles, tires, and rubber items.

The red color is for Tin and Aluminum Cans. Rinse, remove labels, and flatten. Clean foil is also recyclable here. Items not ok to recycle in this bin are plastic or paper bags containing cans (please dump contents out), paint or spray cans, steel or other metal bars or sheets, cans with labels still on, and electronics.

The brown color is for cardboard. Break down boxes to save space. Items not ok to recycle in this bin are cereal boxes, toy packaging, manila folders (these three recycle into mixed paper), pizza boxes, foam attached to cardboard, and strapping that comes with appliance packaging (not recyclable at all).

There are different places in our area for recycling other items not allowed at these stations. The PUD in Cathlamet takes Compact Fluorescent lightbulb during office hours and Cathlamet Building Materials also takes long or short fluorescent lightbulbs. Cathlamet Lions Club has yellow newspaper bins at the Wahkiakum High School and Puget Island Fire Hall. Cathlamet Cheveron has a waste oil and antifreeze bin. There are recycle bins on this side of Longview off Hwy 4 and on KM Mountain that also have bins for glass recycling as well as the other items listed above for our area. Waste Control takes small appliances, tires, asbestos, vehicles, electronics and more.

Our local Stanley Sanitation takes some electronics too, by appointment. Please call 360-795-3369 for more information. Moore Auto and Marine recycles old batteries during business hours. Winco has a bin near the front door for recycling plastic shopping bags. Other grocery stores may have these as well. PNW Metal recycling is in Longview. Check out their website for details http://www.pnwmetal.com.

Please take care when recycling and do not dump garbage or things not accepted at stations. This makes a lot of extra work for Stanley's Sanitation. Not to mention it makes the area look messy. If the bins are not there or too full please try back another time and help keep our county clean.

All this information is located on our recycling website at https://wahkiakumrecycles.wordpress.com/. Flyers with all this information are at the WSU Extension Office if you prefer a hard copy, located at 25 River St. Suite E in Cathlamet.