City Council Considers Recycling Plastics


A resolution to initiate a recycling program in the City of La Crosse will be considered by the City Council in February. Currently, plastic items are not recycled within the City of La Crosse. They are discarded in trash, which is then hauled to the Xcel French Island power plant and burned to help generate electricity. Plastic recycling programs are common in other municipalities, but because the City uses its trash to generate electricity, it has not established a plastics recycling program.

The City has just completed a plastics recycling Feasibility Study (see link in sidebar). As this study notes, some types of plastic, particularly #1 (used for bottled beverages, vegetable oils, etc.) and #2 (used in milk and bleach jugs, etc.) can be recycled to make other products. Other types of plastic (#3-7) may also be reused, but the economic payback for these plastics is less favorable.

Unfortunately, dioxin emissions from the French Island power plant are relatively high (see figure here). It should be noted that dioxin emissions from this plant are somewhat lower than they were prior to 2002. Annual emissions from 2002-2008 ranged from 2.68 to 8.07 grams, but were 20.24 grams and 28.00 grams in 2000 and 2001. Though the City estimates that recycling plastics #1 and #2 would prevent 194 tons of plastic from being incinerated each year, other dioxin-emitting substances (including plastics #3-7) would remain in the trash.

Reasons to Start Recycling Plastics in La Crosse

  • Plastics #1 and #2 are recycled in many other Wisconsin communities, including communities in La Crosse County.  Thus, the mechanics of implementing a plastics recycling program are straightforward.
  • Plastics #1 and #2 can be recycled into a variety of useful products, including plastic bottles, jugs, fiberfill in coats, and various building materials.
  • Because many plastics are initially made from petroleum, starting a recycling program is one way to reduce use of fossil fuels.
  • Recycling plastics #1 and #2 would eliminate one source of dioxin emissions from the French Island power plant.