Recycling Programs

 We all know that zero waste doesn’t really mean zero; at least not without the help of recycling programs. Here at Ray’s Reusables we want to make it as easy as possible for those hard-to-recycle items to get recycled! 

We partner with local circular re-use and recycling initiatives, as well as manufacturer partners to help you deal with the waste that you create responsibly. 

Psssst! Did you know that all of our recycling bins through Rabbit are sponsored by members of our community? Isn’t that amazing?! Please check out our community sponsor page to how it works.

If you are interested in sponsoring a bin, please reach out to info@raysreusables.com to be put on the list. 

Click on each of the sections below to learn more about our recycling partners

Our Recycling Program Partners

Glass

Glass drop offs are accepted during all store hours, no appointment required. We are only able to take 200 pounds in a week though, so please check with us before you head in to make sure we're not at capacity.

Did you know that glass is one of the most recyclable materials around? Yet only about one third of glass ends up getting recycled. Boo! 

Through our partnership with Bottle Underground we are able to accept any post-consumer glass that you have. This includes beer bottles, wine bottles, salsa jars, tiny tincture jars, you name it! 

Once they collect it one of two things happens: they de-label/wash/sanitize containers for purchase by businesses like mine, or they cut and blow the glass into new beautiful functional household items including plates, glassware, light fixtures, and so much more. To read more about their mission and see their work, click here.

All glass must be clean and dry to be accepted for drop off, but you can leave the labels and lids on. 

Niche Recycling

Accepted materials:

  • cork
  • rubber bands
  • twist ties
  • bread tags 
  • cords and wires
  • produce nets
  • plastic bottle caps
  • contact lens packaging

Above items are accepted during all store hours, no appointment required. 

If you’ve ever wished that you could just have one place to send all of your theoretically-recyclable-but-difficult-to-recycle items then you’re in luck! 

Rabbit Recycling calls themselves ‘zero waste in a bucket’ for good reason. They simplify niche or specialty recycling by acting as a single stream option for these materials so you don’t have to find solutions and drop off/mail in points for each and every thing. To learn more about their home recycling program click here!

Safety Razor Blades

Accepted during all store hours. Please bring blades in a paper envelope.

Our partners at Albatross Designs wanted to create a circular system with their safety razor blades.

That's why we collect them to be sent back to them, where they will be melted down and turned into travel utensils. Pretty cool, right??

Flexible Plastics

**One week every month, starting on the third Monday we do an extra special recycling drop off. Some materials that we’ve collected on these one-day events include:

  • flexible plastic bags (grocery bags, bread bags, etc)
  • snack wrappers
  • foil lined snack wrappers

All materials must be clean and dry for drop off, so please be sure your materials are free of food debris, or oils!

These materials are also recycled with our partners at Rabbit Recycling.

How to prepare for flexible plastics week

1. Make sure all of your plastics are free of food debris and dirt. For greasy or chocolatey snack foods, we recommend cutting open the packet and giving it a wipe with a sponge or damp cloth

2. Sort your plastics. There are three different types, and pre-sorting them will help speed things up when it comes time to drop off!

  • 2-4 plastic (these are things like bubble wrap, plastic grocery bags, some frozen food bags. If it stretches before it tears, it's this type)
  • 5-7 plastic (these are less stretchy plastics, think grape bags, frozen veggie steamer bags, clear tortilla chip bags. If it won't stretch, but just goes straight to tearing, it's this type)
  • foil lined plastic (these are...foily. Think chip bags, protein bar wrappers, anything that has that metallic sheen)