Category: Recycling

One Billion Pounds Recycled at Scott Area Recycling Center

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The Waste Commission of Scott County is celebrating Earth Day with a big milestone… 1 BILLION POUNDS RECYCLED! One billion pounds of material from the Quad Cities and nearby communities has been sorted since curbside collection began in 1995. That’s enough to fill 68,626 recycling trucks!

Recycling conserves natural resources, and we’re grateful for the community’s help in taking care of our planet! Since curbside recycling launched, residents have saved over a billion kilowatts of electricity, over two billion gallons of water, and over a million barrels of oil. Thanks to resident participation, the community and environment are continuing to benefit from recycling efforts. 

The Scott Area Recycling Center opened as a dual-stream facility in 1995, sorting 7000-9000 tons of recyclables per year. In 2016, the facility underwent a remodel, and “Go All In” single-stream recycling was launched. Later in 2019 and 2023, a total of four optical sorters were installed to increase the sorting capacity and efficiency. Today, the facility accepts material from as far as two hours away and processes about 40,000 tons of material each year. Once sorted, these materials are shipped to other midwestern businesses for future processing. While technology has changed the way the Waste Commission of Scott County sorts recyclables and made the process more efficient, what can be recycled curbside remains the same.

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!

Thank you for helping us reach this milestone and keep on Recycling Right!

Want to learn more?

Spring Cleaning Guide

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Time to start those spring cleaning projects! Here’s a helpful 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.

Spring Cleaning

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.