Trash and Recycle

Hawthorne Valley Homeowners Association Trash, Recycling and Yard Waste Procedures

Hawthorne Valley has a collection contract with GFL Environmental (previously WCA Waste Corporation). GFL provides pick-up services every Friday, except for the weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Fourth of July, and New Years Day (pick-up will occur on Saturday of those weeks). If unsure on the holiday schedule, please refer to GFL's website for up to date notifications. Pickup may be as early as 6:30 a.m. Following are the guidelines specified by GFL.

TRASH

Correct placement of your container for curbside trash, recycling and organic waste collection is easy, but it’s also important to ensure your services are handled properly and safely. This guide on container placement will ensure you’re prepared:

Click here for a good quick video regarding container placement
Place your trash can and recycling bin at the curb with the wheels facing your house and the lid opening into the street.
Keep your garbage cans four feet apart and at least four feet or more from any obstacles such as mailboxes, cars, lamp posts, or power lines.
Keep your container at the curb until the end of the day if it hasn’t been collected. Sometimes the timing of trash pickup changes.
It’s generally best to put your container out the night before your collection day. That way even if trash pickup is early, you won’t be missed.
Protip: put loose trash in bags so it doesnt fly out of container on windy days.

Should you have more trash than will fit into the container, they will collect bagged trash that has one of their stickers attached. These stickers may be purchased from GFL over the phone at (816) 380-5595 or by mail at P. O. Box 10, Harrisonville, MO 64701.

RECYCLE

GFL will collect recycles only in the 64 gallon containers (blue lids) that they provide. See bin placement guidelines above.

When it comes to recycling, awareness is key. Contamination is the biggest issue impacting successful recycling practices today, when people throw in items they shouldn’t, such as grease-soaked cardboard, plastic bags or paint cans. This is why it’s important to know what you can recycle and what you can’t.

It’s also important to note that accepted items vary by location and facility. Below is a general guide to what you can recycle, but this is NOT location specific. To ensure you are recycling correctly, please contact your local GFL branch or recycling center to get a list of accepted items.

Usually Accepted: Plastic Recycling
Includes all CLEANED plastic bottles and jars #1 to #7: soft drink bottles, milk jugs, detergent bottles, FLATTENED cartons, etc. Check the bottom of the container. If you see the recycling symbol with a #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 in the center, it is acceptable. For a detailed description of common recyclable plastics, see “TIPS” below.

Usually Accepted: Metal Recycling
Includes aluminum cans, pie and baking pans, tin cans, steel food containers, EMPTY aerosol cans, and lids. Metal beverage cans, baking tins, foil, and food containers are also included in this material category. All items must be CLEAN OF FOOD.

Usually Accepted: Cardboard Recycling
Includes corrugated cardboard, shipping boxes, cereal and dry food boxes, shoe boxes, tissue boxes, moving boxes, detergent boxes, soda/beer cartons, and paper towel/toilet tissue rolls. All boxes MUST BE FLATTENED for proper disposal.

Usually Accepted: Paper Recycling
Includes newspapers, inserts, labels, magazines, catalogs, paperback books, manila folders, letterhead, notebook paper (no backings), computer paper, envelopes (with windows), coupon books, index cards, calendars, and brown paper bags.

Unacceptable Restricted Materials
GFL will not accept the following materials for recycle, and should be treated as trash:

Styrofoam
Window glass and mirrors
Electronic waste (TVs and computers)
Motor oil containers
Yard waste
Chemical containers
Shredded paper
Plastic bags
Ceramics or dishes
Food waste
Scrap metal
Monitors

Glass
GFL does not recycle glass due to safety reasons. As an alternative, homeowners are encouraged to recycle their glass food and beverage containers by taking them to glass collection locations. The two closest are:

Overland Park Recycle Center (behind Overland Park Fire Station 44)
11921 Hardy
Overland Park, KS

Ripple Glass (StorageMart parking lot, behind Johnny's Tavern)
12020 Glenwood St
Overland Park, KS

Scrap Metal
GFL does not recycle scrap metal and considers it as trash. The Overland Park Recycle Center at 11921 Hardy does accept scrap metal items.

YARD WASTE

The following items are generally accepted in organic waste containers:
Food Scraps
Fruits and vegetables
Nuts and seeds
Bread and grains
Pasta
Eggshells
Coffee grounds

Yard Waste
Branches
Flowers
Leaves
Small tree trimmings

Yard waste must be in paper bags or bundles in a separate curb location from trash. Tree limbs should be no longer than 4 feet in length and less than 2 inches in diameter. Yard waste service is provided YEAR ROUND! There is an 10 (bag or bundle) limit per week.

BULKY AND LARGE ITEM SERVICE

Once a month, GFL will pick up larger items on their regular service day provided that they are notified at least 48 hours in advance, please call (816) 380-5595 to schedule your bulky item pick-up. The following items are generally accepted for bulk pickup:

Excess household trash
Cardboard (please break down flat and remove packing material)
Mattresses
Box Springs
Bicycles
Toys
Car seats
Grills (no Propane tanks or hot ashes)
Televisions
Furniture fixtures (no fluorescent lights)
Sofas
Chairs
Tables

The following items are generally not accepted for bulk pickup:

Items containing fuels such as lawn mowers and propane tanks
Household chemicals
Pool chemicals
Oil, anti-freeze, automotive filters
Batteries, small or large
Cooking oils
Paint
Appliances

Plastic Recycling Tips
All containers must be rinsed and contain no food or other material. All caps and rings
(although recyclable) must be removed from bottles. Lids must be removed from containers.
	Typical	Typical types of plastic materials
	Group #
	1	soft drink and water bottles, mouthwash bottles
		peanut butter, salad dressing and vegetable oil containers,
		ovenable food trays
	2	milk jugs and juice bottles
		bleach, detergent, shampoo, and household cleaner bottles
		butter and yogurt tubs
	3	window cleaner, detergent, and shampoo bottles
		cooking oil bottles
		clear food packaging
	4	Squeezable bottles and frozen food containers
	5	yogurt containers
		syrup and ketchup bottles
		hard plastic caps, straws
		medicine bottles
	6	Note: No foam or styrofoam products
		disposable plates and cups
		meat trays and egg cartons
		“carryout” containers
		aspirin bottles
		compact disk cases
	7	three and five gallon water bottles
		sunglasses
		DVD’s
		signs and displays