Final Destination Of Our Recyclables

Recycled products may be re-made into the same type of product or made into something that looks very different.  Many recycling centers send commodities overseas (China is the biggest purchaser), but all of our products are currently re-manufactured in the United States. 

Aluminum beverage cans and steel food cans are melted down and used to make new cans.  Most cardboard that comes through the KALIX Recycling Center is made into new cardboard, but some may end up as fiberboard (cereal boxes, etc). 

Most of our newspaper and magazines are made into new paper for printing, but the newspaper may also be used to make egg cartons or cellulose insulation.  Our mixed paper (office paper & junk mail) ends up as a variety of paper products – mostly paper plates, paper towels, and napkins. 

Plastic beverage bottles (#1 PET) ** are actually chemically the same as polyester.  The bottles are shredded, recycled into fibers, and used for carpet and fiber-fill inside jackets.  Plastic jugs (#2 HDPE) ** are re-manufactured into plastic lumber, drain-tile, and similar consumer products. 

Hard and soft-covered books are re-used and re-cycled in a variety of ways.  Read more.

** The KALIX Recycling Center will begin accepting #1 PET and #2 HDPE effective April 21, 2011.