Summer Party Garbage and Recycling Guide

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, 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!

One Billion Pounds Recycled at Scott Area Recycling Center

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?