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The rigid plastic recycling drop-off program has been suspended. Rigid plastic material, such as five-gallon buckets and children’s toys, if they cannot be reused, resold, or donated, should be placed into the refuse to be sent to the landfill. The dumpsters for rigid plastic recycling at the Streets Division drop-off sites have been removed, and there is no timetable for them to return.

Suspending the rigid plastic recycling program is the only change to the City of Madison recycling program at this time.

Pellitteri Waste Systems, which is the company that provided rigid plastics recycling for Madison at the drop-off sites, informed the Streets Division that they could no longer accept that material for recycling. This is due to an import ban on certain types of plastic scrap enacted by the government of China. While many recyclables are kept here in the United States to be transformed into new products, others need to be shipped overseas. Without the ability to export rigid plastic materials to China, and without another market available at this time, the rigid plastic program must be suspended.

If another market, either domestic or international, becomes available for the mixed rigid plastic material previously accepted at the drop-off sites the program will return.

Residents are reminded that the landfill is the last option for rigid plastic material. Useable items like children’s toys and lawn furniture could be donated to many local organizations or listed for sale or for free at www.madisonstuffexchange.com. Residents can also utilize their social media networks to see if their rigid plastic items could have another life in the home of a friend, neighbor, or contact.

Additional information regarding this change can be found on the Streets Division website.
 

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