Madison to Expand Recycling Program

Madison – The City of Madison is expanding its recycling program by adding milk cartons, aseptic packages, and aluminum foil pans and trays to its curbside collection. “I am very happy to announce this Earth Day present for Madison residents,” Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said. “This is another chance for our citizens to convert more of their trash into a resource for industry.” This expansion of the recycling program was made possible by the efforts of Madison’s recycling processor Recycle America Alliance (RAA). RAA is always looking for new markets for recyclables and has found a home for milk cartons and aluminum foil pans and trays. “We believe that we will be able to recycle up to 300 additional tons of material annually because of this change,” said Cieslewicz. “That will save over $8,000 in landfill fees and generate $3,000 in new revenue.” The new material to be recycled includes: o Paper milk and juice cartons o Juice boxes o Aseptic soy milk and tofu containers o Aluminum foil pie, cake and roasting pans “We will only be taking aluminum foil pans and pie plates,” Madison Recycling Coordinator George Dreckmann said. “We cannot take regular aluminum foil because our markets do not want it.” “All of these items should be rinsed clean before being put in the green recycling cart,” Dreckmann added. “Aluminum pans that cannot be cleaned should continue to be tossed in the refuse.” Residents who have questions about the changes should visit the Streets Division’s web site at www.cityofmadison.com/streets or call the City Recycling Office at 267-2626.