RecyclingMonster - The return of recycling services in Santa Rosa County is just about a week away. Officials say it's important to know what can and can't go into your curbside recycling come Feb. 3.

Andrew Hill, environmental supervisor for the county, says they need your help keeping recycling services around.

"If we send too much of that back to the ECUA, there's a very good chance our program will be suspended again," Hill said.

Nine months after it was taken away, it's making a comeback much to residents' pleasure.

"We're thankful for the program and being able to participate and the reclamation process, just feels like you're doing something right," said Pace resident Joel Stilwell.

In April 2019, the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority suspended their agreement with the county due to high levels of non-recyclable items found in residents' bins. Hill says they've worked out a new deal. He wants you to focus on three basics while recycling:

• Clean cardboard
• Aluminum and steel cans
• Plastic jugs and bottles

"Once we get it going and have a good track record with ECUA, then we may start trying to introduce more recycling products into our recycling stream," Hill said.

With this service comes responsibility. Something Stilwell will take seriously.

"We want to help the community and help the environment," he said.

Being careless or uninformed could cost you, your neighborhood, or even county. Hill says neighborhoods contributing too many contaminated items could lead to service disqualification.

"We'll be inspecting each load and correlating it to a specific road and then correlating it to a specific area in the county," he said.

Hill says if you think about if an item will be recyclable, don't risk it...just throw it away.

NOT RECYCLABLE

• Garden hoses
• Christmas tree lights
• Window blinds
• Greasy Pizza boxes
• Clothing
• Bedding, carpet and rugs
• Plastic bags
• Styrofoam
• Pet food cans/bags
• Waxy/paper milk cartons
• Juice boxes
• Aerosol cans
• Tin foil

Courtesy : weartv.com