Think 5 - Orange County Recycles Day

JOIN THE VIRTUAL CELEBRATION

Join us here in November as we celebrate Orange County Recycles Day!

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WHAT GOES WHERE

Wondering what to do with your old fluorescent lightbulbs? Confused about whether an empty juice carton or potato chip bag belongs in the recycling cart or the garbage cart? There’s a tool for that!

Use the What Goes Where tool to search for hundreds of items and find out how to properly dispose of them. 

FROM PELLETS THROUGH PRODUCTION—YOUR RECYCLING CART’S JOURNEY

Did you know the 95-gallon recycling carts for Orange County’s curbside collection program are made locally by Rehrig Pacific Company? The carts are made from a mix of virgin and recycled high-density polyethylene pellets. In this video, watch the carts come to life and make their way to your house.

RECYCLE "WRITE" POETRY CONTEST

Recycle write poetry contents winners
Emily Ford pic
  • Emma Ford
  • 5th Grade
  • Laureate Park Elementary School

Little Steel Can Men

This morning I woke up with a plan
You can change the world, they say,
So I recycled a Little Can.
I threw it into the blue bin and sent it on its way.

You may say, “It’s no big deal.
You can’t have that much glory!”
But before you tell me how to feel,
Listen to Little Can’s story.

Little Can started on its exploration
As a can of red tomato soup
Its contents went through assimilation.
Then it was cleaned and free of slimy red goop.

Thrown to the bright blue bin,
And dumped in a rolling bucket
Where the air was narrow and thin.
Then came a truck, and as it carried up, some other recyclables struck it.

At the recycling center, they were sorted and sorted.
Can saw some glass pieces of an old broken dish.
Once into piles, they were ported and ported.
Our little can met another who once carried tuna fish.

Placed into a furnace.
And put with some little pieces of iron.
Little Can thought worriedly, Oh I do hope they don’t burn us!
Just as Can calmed down, someone put the fire on!

Feeling very watery and drab,
Can was poured into a hardy mold.
And cooled into a very think and hefty slab.
It thought, Why, this is getting old!

It was shipped off to a factory, one very stony and cold.
And Little Can was melted yet again!
And put into another mold!
And to its surprise, turned out to become a dozen painted steel men.

They were put into a colorful store,
And were bought by a loving young boy.
They lived together making happy memories, forever more and more.
And whoever knew that one can, one recycler, could bring such joy?

Itamar Moyal pic
  • Itamar Moyal
  • 4th Grade
  • Orlando Torah Academy

Think 5 the Right Way

If you like the beach please listen to my speech.
Make it a routine to help keep our beaches clean.
Get on board to recycle plastic, glass, aluminum, paper
and cardboard.

Recycling saves both cans Bill and Jill from the landfill.
Instead they can be taken to a recycling center to be reused as a refill.
Make Recycling a habit so we can save the planet!

Think 5 the right way.
What are you waiting for? Get started today!

Olivia Minier pic
  • Olivia Minier
  • 5th Grade
  • Good Shepherd Catholic School

Just You Look at Me

I stroll along the water stream
And see more plastic just like me
Going down and oh I see
A garbage truck please set me free

Other bottles squeal with glee
So, I go in and now I'm in trash city

It's been so long yet here I am
But guess what I'm a recycling can
I know it's as funny as can be
But could you recycle
Just for me

Recycling is a necessity
So, if you do it, you will be a valued member of earths recycling team
I know it may be hard but just you look at me

I hope you learn what recycling means to plain old plastic just like me
I know this was very long, but I hope you kept along
Hope to see you soon
Hope it's not too long

THINK 5 COLORING BOOK

These books are a fun way to learn how to recycle right. Pick yours up at an Orange County Library System location near you, or click the image below to access a printable version.

Orange County Recycles with Recycle Riley

Contact Us

Solid Waste Division
5901 Young Pine Road
Orlando, FL 32829

Email: Solid.Waste@ocfl.net
Solid Waste Hotline: 407-836-6601

All e-mail sent to this address becomes part of Orange County public record. Comments received by our e-mail subsystem can be read by anyone who requests that privilege. In compliance with "Government in the Sunshine" laws, Orange County Government must make available, at request, any and all information not deemed a threat to the security of law enforcement agencies and personnel.