After some confusion from its customers at the Swift Current recycle depot, SARCAN is clearing the air.

Kevin Acton, Director of Operation with SARCAN Recycling, said that people thought that the depot was experiencing problems with different types of plastics and that plastics wouldn't be recycled anymore. 

He said that it is the city's recycling depot that is having problems. 

"There are some issues with the different plastics," he said. "Some of the plastic components are made from the same plastic. For example, if you take a clamshell container, that container is made from number one PET, which is the same as a pop bottle. What happens on that container is that there is a paper label on that container holding it together. That paper label is glued on. When they go to process that container, they can't get the label off and the glue, so when they go to shred the plastic, the glue will start on fire when it goes through the extruder. It creates a problem from a recycling perspective, so that container even though it's made from number PET." 

Acton continued that the cities problem isn't unique to them, but that Swift Current's recycling depot is not experiencing the same issue. He said that they are things the residents of the city can do to help the city out. 

"Some of the items they are having trouble with our plastic bags. Get a reusable bag. Same with the clamshell containers in the grocery store. They are a real problem to find a market for, so when you buy your vegetable, try and buy them in containers that don't have that clamshell packaging. Get your own vegetable bag," he noted. "Those are a couple of things people can directly impact their choice at the store, so we don't have the problem on the tail end recycling it." 

The city said that "our Recycling contractor is no longer accepting plastic one and plastic films and bags."