Whether your candidate won or lost, put a “W” in the environment column

Now that the election is over and Joe Biden will be the 46th president of the United States, what do you do with those leftover campaign signs? You can’t easily toss them in the recycling bin, so we found a few alternatives for you.

Where to Recycle Leftover Campaign Signs

If you have political signs, protest signs, or swag that are made of paper or cardboard, you can put them into your curbside single-stream recycling bin.

Offical campaign signs are a different story. Most likely, your sign is a “coroplast,” or corrugated plastic sign that has a zigzag center between two sheets. In Philadelphia, they are not recyclable in single-stream recycling according to Patty Barthel, Public Affairs of Waste Management.

Where to Recycle Campaign Signs in Philadelphia

Local nonprofit Tiny WPA is accepting old campaign signs and will turn them into toys, planters, and other products. Plus, you’ll be supporting this organization’s mission to “place youth and adults at the forefront of stimulating community engagement and civic innovation in Philadelphia.” 

Drop off your political sign swag at 4017 Lancaster Avenue, Philadelphia PA 19104 from Monday-Friday from 10 AM to 6 PM. There is no end date to dropping these off.

If you’re in Manayunk/Wissahickon area, Crust Vegan Bakery announced via Instagram that they are accepting political signs at their Manayunk location (4409 Main Street) from today through Sunday and drop them off at Tiny WPA.

Where to Recycle Campaign Signs in Montgomery County, PA

According to their website, Montgomery County hosts an annual campaign sign recycling program each November, partnering with the Montgomery County Democratic and Republican Committees. They recycle both plastic campaign signs and metal stands from each year’s election.

From November 4 – November 12, 2020, you can drop off your campaign signs AND metal stands at participating locations during their operating hours:

• Abington Township Highway Yard, 2201 Florey Lane, Abington
• Cheltenham Township Public Works Facility, 8101 Old York Road, Elkins Park
• Borough of Collegeville Municipal Building, 491 East Main Street, Collegeville
• Douglass Township Building, 1320 East Philadelphia Avenue, Gilbertsville
• Horsham Township Municipal Building, 1025 Horsham Road, Horsham
• Lower Merion Transfer Station, 1300 North Woodbine Avenue, Penn Valley
• Lower Providence Township Public Works Facility, 500 Church Road, Eagleville
• Lower Salford Township Municipal Building, 379 Main Street, Harleysville
• Montgomery County Democratic Committee Headquarters, 21 East Airy Street, Norristown. (Drop off in the parking lot behind the building)
• Montgomery Township Administration Building, 1001 Stump Road, Montgomeryville
• Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington
• Whitemarsh Township Administration Building, 616 West Germantown Pike, Lafayette Hill
• Whitpain Township Administration Building, 960 Wentz Road, Blue Bell

Questions? Contact Montgomery County Recycling at 610-278-3618 or recycling@montcopa.org

If you don’t recycle at either location above, you could always try to repurpose your yard sign by repainting and reusing during ‘drive-by” birthday parties and baby showers. Or, you could create storage boxes, basket liners, or other projects. The possibilities are endless in times of quarantine.

Regardless of what you do with your sign, hopefully, it’s more responsible than this disappointed voter:

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Julie Hancher is Editor-in-Chief of Green Philly, sharing her expertise of all things sustainable in the city of brotherly love. She enjoys long walks in the park with local beer and greening her travels, cooking & cat, Sir Floofus Drake. View all posts by Julie Hancher