Easily recyclable and valuable. Can be recycled over and over again!

Must be rinsed out and free of food/grease.

Plastic bottles and containers with numbers 1, 2 and 5 inside the arrow symbol are the most commonly recycled plastics. 

Try to avoid plastics numbers 3 and 7 as they are not easily recyclable. 

Plastics with the number 6 inside the arrow symbol are entirely not accepted and should not go in your recycling cart.

Recycle it! Using recycled newspaper/newsprint can save up to 60% in energy costs. As of May 2019, paper imports to China remained strong and stable.

Cardboard with any food grease (pizza boxes) or wax coating (milk or OJ cartons) is not recyclable.

It takes around three tons of trees to manufacture just one ton of new cardboard. Recycling allows cardboard to be used up to seven times.

Though paper is one of the least valuable recyclable commodities in the recycling market, it’s still a win for the environment. Producing recycled white paper creates 74% less air pollution, 35% less water pollution and 75% less processed energy than producing paper from virgin fibers.

You cannot put glass bottles in your curbside recycling cart, but it’s worth bringing them to a local Ripple Glass container. Glass is 100% recyclable, and because of Ripple Glass’s state-of-the-art-processing plant in Kansas City, it can be kept out of area landfills and converted into fiberglass insulation or turned back into bottles.

A Ripple Glass receptacle is available in the Raymore Price Chopper parking lot.

Electronics can contain lead, mercury and other chemicals and hazardous wastes. These wastes can hurt the environment and endanger public health. Keep electronics out of the landfill by recycling them. Most consumer electronics (computers, cell phones, etc.0 are accepted at Best Buy, Office Depot & Office Max and Staples. Televisions are accepted ONLY at Best Buy and Midwest Recycling Center (MRC) at 2000 E. 19th St., Kansas City, Missouri. MRC also accepts anything that runs on a cord or battery, including small appliances. Learn more at recyclespot.org.

Every June, the City of Raymore hosts an electronics recycling event at City Hall. A second 2024 e-waste recycling event is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 2 from 9 a.m. to noon at City Hall. Most items are free to recycle, but there is a fee for the following materials: CRT monitor, CRT TV or projection TV, LCD TV. Visit www.raymore.com/ewaste for the latest information on upcoming e-waste recycling events.

Every October, an electronic waste recycle event is held in Harrisonville through a partnership of the Cass County Sustainability Committee, The Family Center and Meredith Recycling, Montrose, Missouri.

When you recycle electronics, valuable materials like metals, plastics and glass are extracted and used for new products.

Annually, the City of Raymore participates in the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) program. The City's participation in the program allows residents to participate for free in several HHW drop-off events–including an event that annually alternates between Raymore and Belton–and utilize permanent collection facilities in Lee's Summit (2101 SE Hamblen Road) and Kansas City (4707 Deramus) free of charge.

Learn more about HHW and area collection facilities at recyclespot.org.

America’s recycling system is a tricky one. For years, we have relied on foreign countries to take our waste and recycle it, namely China. However, China and other foreign governments are  reducing or eliminating the imports of plastic after growing environmental concerns.

These market changes affect residents here as they create new challenges for solid waste companies, material recovery facilities (MRFs) and processors. 

Members of the Solid Waste Association of North America believe that the disruption to America’s recycling markets, though troublesome now, will lead to positive economic and environmental changes in the United States’ future. The introduction of domestic recycling facilities, for instance, creates jobs across the country. No longer being dependent on a foreign market to take its trash allows innovation to be stimulated at home.  

Anyone can play a role in reducing waste and preparing for this global recycling transformation. The first two parts of the recycling triangle – reduce and reuse – are the most effective ways to preserve natural resources, save money and keep those materials out of the landfills.

What can we do?

The first step is to cut down on the amount of trash you’re generating. Choose metal or glass over plastic. Say no to single-use plastics. Try to purchase items that can be used over and over again. 

Is recycling worth it? 
Yes, if it is done the right way. No food or liquid should be in or on the containers. Contamination, even a small amount, can cause an entire load of recyclables to be rejected and sent to the landfill instead. Make sure your recyclables are actually recyclable (when in doubt, throw it out) and the items are clean, dry and empty. Plastic bags can be recycled at local grocery stores, but cannot go into your recycling cart.