Author: Rachel Evans

Summer Party Garbage and Recycling Guide

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Summer is just around the corner, which means it’s time for graduation parties, holiday BBQs, and family reunions! These events all include some waste, so we’re back with a summer garbage and recycling guide to what goes where!

Party Preparations

Waste can be created when getting your space party-ready! Propane tanks, pool chemicals, and lawn care items can all be disposed of at our Household Hazardous Material Facility.

Make recycling as easy as possible for your guests by placing recycling and garbage by placing your garbage and recycling carts next to each other or by making a reservation to use our event recyclers. Through our environmental outreach program, iLivehere, we loan portable recycling containers to use at events.

Reduce waste by decorating with reusable items like pots of flowers instead of single-use items like streamers or balloons.

Party Cleanup

Disposables make party cleanup easier, but they create a lot of waste! Paper plates, paper cups, plastic silverware, straws, chip bags, and juice pouches all belong in the garbage.

Toss plastic cups, aluminum cans, water/pop bottles, and juice boxes into your recycling cart!

Planning a show for your 4th of July BBQ? Please soak fireworks casings, packaging, and wrappers in water, then throw them in the garbage. (And please be sure to follow your local guidelines and stay safe!)

Any Questions?

Did we miss something in this summer party garbage and recycling guide? We’d love to answer your questions! Use the “How do I Dispose of…” search tool located on our homepage. Just select your community and type the item. You could also leave a comment on our Facebook posts about summer-y garbage and recycling or fill out our Contact Us form!

Happy Earth Day!

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In celebration of Earth Day (and Earth Month) we’re sharing a bit about our iLivehere program and how you can get involved. Created in April 2008, iLivehere is the Waste Commission of Scott County’s environmental outreach program. As a Keep America Beautiful Affiliate, iLivehere empowers you to be a steward of our environment.

The program has a few different components:

  1. Provide free cleanup supplies – iLivehere provides supplies such as bags, gloves, and litter tongs to those helping to make the Quad-Cities a cleaner place to live, work, and play. If your neighborhood group, church group, environmental club, business, or family is planning a cleanup, we’re here to help! 
  2. Loan event recycling containers – iLivehere loans portable recycling containers for use at area events and festivals at no charge!
  3. Coordinate MAKE it YOURS – our adoption program – See a place in your community (within Scott County only) that needs a little TLC? Groups can MAKE it YOURS by agreeing to care for it at least twice per year. We’ll provide cleanup supplies and even post a sign recognizing your efforts!

Click here to learn more about the iLivehere program and have a Happy Earth Day!

Spring Cleaning Guide

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Time to start those spring cleaning projects! Here’s a helpful spring cleaning guide to figure out where to dispose of any items you’re ready to part with. First, consider reuse (donation, selling, etc.) for items that still have life left. Now, let’s go in the order our four facilities opened!

Scott Area Landfill

Have a microwave that no longer works? The Scott Area Landfill accepts tires, appliances, scrap metal, and shingles for recycling as well as waste from Scott County households and businesses to be landfilled. You can put garbage items into your curbside cart or bring it to the Scott Area Landfill for a fee based on the material and weight. Watch what to do when you arrive at the landfill.

Scott Area Recycling Center

Doing a pantry or office refresh? Recycle cardboard boxes, plastic bottles & jars, glass bottles & jars, paper, and aluminum & steel cans in your curbside recycling cart or at a Scott Area Recycling Center drop-off location. If your spring cleaning includes shredding sensitive papers, please help us keep it contained through the sorting process by putting the shreds into a paper bag labeled shredded paper.

Household Hazardous Material Facility

While cleaning your basement and garage, you may find items that should go to our Household Hazardous Material (HHM) Facility. Acceptable items at HHM include paints, pesticides, cleaners, chemicals, medical sharps, and fluorescent lightbulbs. This service is free for residents of Scott and Rock Island counties. Click here to view facility hours and to learn more.

Electronics Recovery Center

Saying farewell to that desk drawer of old cell phones? Our Electronics Recovery Center will accept e-waste like computers, televisions, cell phones, printers, cartridges, copiers, stereos, batteries, or any digital electronic device with a screen or circuit board for recycling. Watch what to do when you arrive at this facility.

Any questions?

We couldn’t list everything in our spring cleaning guide, but we have more resources that can help! Not sure where an item should go? Use the “How do I Dispose of…” search tool located on our homepage. Just select your community and type what item you’re looking for.

Spring cleaning at your business? Click here to learn more about our services for businesses.

Keep batteries out of garbage & recycling carts

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Help prevent fires at recycling centers and landfills! Keep lithium and rechargeable batteries out of your garbage and recycling carts, and drop them off at the Electronics Recovery Center for proper disposal instead.

Lithium and rechargeable batteries — like those found inside rechargeable electronics such as laptops and cell phones — have caused numerous fires at our facilities (including this one in June 2023 which was suppressed by our Fire Rover system until the Davenport Fire Department arrived) and around the country. These preventable fires can damage public and private property, harm workers and the environment, and even cause loss of life.

Because of this, the Waste Commission of Scott County urges residents and businesses to drop off lithium and rechargeable batteries at the Electronics Recovery Center, 5650 Carey Ave., Davenport for proper disposal. An after-hours battery recycling drop-off box is also located at that site.

The Electronics Recovery Center is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 8 to 11:30 a.m. the first Saturday of each month. No appointment is necessary, and there is no charge for residents of Scott and Rock Island Counties. Residents of other counties as well as businesses may drop off batteries for a small fee. Watch what to do when you arrive at our facility!

Alkaline (non-rechargeable) batteries are considered trash and are safe to throw away in household garbage. We know it can be hard to know what type of battery you have, so if you’re unsure, bring them in and our staff can help.

Thank you for stopping the spark by keeping lithium and rechargeable batteries out of your garbage and recycling carts!

Not sure how to dispose of something? Search the database.

Recycle Right!

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We’re excited to share the Scott Area Recycling Center underwent some updates in 2023. The good news is that our recycling rules aren’t changing. Keep reading for reminders on how you can Recycle Right!

Three new optical sorters have increased the system’s sorting speed from 10 tons-per-hour to 11.5 tons-per-hour and it captures more recyclables (particularly polypropylene, the type of plastic in items like yogurt containers, butter tubs, and cold beverage cups). Optical sorters use infrared technology to recognize and sort materials at a rate of 600-900 items per minute while a person can sort 35-50 items per minute.

Technology is changing the way the Waste Commission of Scott County sorts recyclables, but what can be recycled curbside remains the same. Residents should keep using the image on Go All In carts as a guide to Recycle Right!

What Goes in Your Cart?

  • Glass bottles and jars: Empty and rinse containers.
  • Plastic bottles, tubs and jugs: Labels and lids are OK.
  • Paper and cardboard: Flatten all boxes.
  • Aluminum and steel cans: Place all items in your cart loosely. No plastic bags!

When recycling right, be encouraged that the updated equipment at the Scott Area Recycling Center is capturing an additional 900,000lbs of recyclables annually. This includes eight times more polypropylene collected than before!

Want to learn more?