‘KEEP-THIS’ SIMPLE, SMART, SUSTAINABLE HANDBOOK
RECYCLING
All six towns have the same rules for what can and can’t be recycled.
CAN
METAL CANS • Primarily food and beverage cans • Empty and clean wash PLASTIC CONTAINERS • Bottles, jars, jugs and tubs • Empty, wash clean • NO caps or lids GLASS CONTAINERS • Bottles and jars • Empty, wash clean • NO caps or lids • NO ceramics, NO window panes PAPER AND PAPERBOARD • Office paper, junk mail, newspaper, magazine, paperboard boxes • Empty and flatten, NO shredded paper • NO pizza boxes • NO books with bindings CORRUGATED CARDBOARD • Empty and flatten • Remove packing tape • NO pizza boxes • NO waxed boxes
CAN NOT
• Recyclables in a garbage bag • Garbage • Plastic bags or plastic wrap • Food or liquid • tyrofoam items or packaging materials • Clothing or linens • Tanglers (hoses, wires, chains) • Electronics
TRANSFER STATION RULES • Aquinnah, Chilmark, Edgartown, West Tisbury • Dual sorting system • Cardboard and paper go together • Plastic containers, tin cans, aluminum cans and glass go together • Oak Bluffs (local drop-off ) • Dual sorting system • Cardboard, newspaper and paper go together • Everything else single stream • Tisbury (local drop-off ) • Dual sorting system • Cardboard and newspaper together • Everything else single stream • Oak Bluffs Bruno’s Drop-Off • Dual sorting system • Separate cardboard • Everything else single stream
Aspirational Recycling • If you’re unsure about whether some thing is or is not recyclable, it’s better to throw it out. If recycling bins are contaminated with too many non-recyclable materials, the entire bin will be thrown out. “When in doubt, throw it out.” • ABC’s & Bruno’s • No-waste policy: if there is any nonrecyclable material, bin is thrown out • MVRD • Similar, but more materials-dependent. Food waste and oil contamination are more no-tolerance, whereas materials like plastic bags and styrofoam are more tolerated. • The biggest mistake Don Hatch of MVRD sees: • Putting plastic bags, plastic wrap or cellophane plastic in recycling
COMPOSTING
Bruno’s and ABC’s Pick-Up Recycling Rules: • Single bin, don’t need to separate materials
Recycle, compost, volunteer, write your rep, buy secondhand.
HOW-TO • ACCEPTED ITEMS • All meat and fish (including bones, lobster shells and egg shells) • All dairy • Grains, nuts, seeds, flour products • Fruits and vegetables • Tea bags (staples removed) • Coffee grounds and coffee filters • All flowers • Paper napkins and paper towels • Unless they have toxic products that will not break down with high heat on them • UNACCEPTABLE ITEMS • Large amounts of oyster, clam, little neck, mussel shells. Contact the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group to recycle these! • Fat/oil/grease
The ‘Keep-This’ Simple, Smart, Sustainable Handbook M A R T H A’ S V I N E YA R D / S P R I N G 2 0 2 1
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