We appreciate your decision to recycle. The next step is to ensure you know how to recycle properly. While recycling services vary by location, we want to ensure you know your options and general requirements.
If you live in an area where recycling is offered by your trash collection service, please contact them for the most accurate details about their requirements for recycling.
Below is a general outline of how to recycle properly in Western PA.
Sign up for recycling.
Contact your garbage collection company to see if they offer recycling pickup. Whether you are interested in residential curbside pickup or commercial recycling services, call to find out your options and set up service.
The Vogel Holding, Inc. hauling companies are proud to offer recycling collection for customers in most of our service areas. With the addition of new recycling technologies, we have been able to expand our recycling pickup capabilities. Our goal is to soon offer recycling services to all of our customers.
Find out the requirements for service.
Each hauler has different requirements for how they want you to prepare your recyclable materials. Some companies will require you to sort by material type, while others accept single-stream recycling.
Many Vogel Disposal, Tri-County Industries, Valley Waste Service and Ohio Valley Waste Service customers are able to take advantage of the ease and convenience of single-stream recycling. If you have this service, you are able to combine all of your recyclable materials (paper, plastic, cardboard, glass, and metal) into a single container. We sort the materials at our processing facility, saving you the time and hassle.
Learn what materials are accepted.
Again, each company has different requirements and capabilities to accept certain types of materials.
The materials processed at the TC Recycling facility are listed here. While your collection company may not accept all of these materials, this list should give you an idea of what types of materials can (and cannot) be put out for recycling.
Learn what materials cannot be accepted.
Certain materials cannot be accepted along with other recyclable materials. These items include, but are not limited to:
- Electronic waste
- Plastic shopping bags and grocery bags
- Hazardous materials and chemicals
- Liquid waste (paint, cleaning supplies, etc.)
- Polystyrene
- Plastic bags
- Glass drinkware
- Plastic wrap
- Plastic utensils and straws
- Light bulbs
- Batteries
- Garden hoses
- Tires
- Propane and helium tanks.
Please consult the PA Resources Council for more information about collection dates for these hard-to-dispose-of items.
Properly prepare for collection.
Any material that has come into contact with food should be rinsed before being put out for recycling. This prevents contamination of our facility and helps keep your recyclables free from pests.
Unless your recycling pickup company requires it, please do not bag your recyclables. We have to cut the bags open at our processing facility, which reduces our efficiency. Plastic garbage bags and grocery bags cannot be recycled at our facility, and if they get into our equipment, they can cause our machinery to jam up. Because of this, we ask that you put your recyclable materials directly into your recycling container, and not into a bag, if possible.
Please refrain from knowingly putting non-recyclable materials into your recycling container. Doing so decreases our ability to efficiently process materials at our facility. It also poses a risk of contamination of entire loads of recyclable material, or worse, could cause a dangerous situation at our processing center. If you are unsure if something is recyclable, please contact your collection company.
No pickup in your area? Find alternate methods of recycling.
If you are unable to sign up for recycling collection, you can find a recycling collection facility in your area. Residents of Western PA can take their recyclable materials to Seneca Landfill, located at 421 Hartmann Road, Evans City, PA 16033. For information about this free drop-off location, visit Seneca Landfill's website.
Please note that TC Recycling does not have a public drop-off facility, but we would be glad to help you find one in your area.