Reduce Reuse
Recycle
Supporting Sustainability in the Pioneer Valley Brought to you by The Republican and MassLive.com
S2 | FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022
Reduce Reuse Recycle Acknowledgements This guide marks the fourteenth year of a collaborative effort between The Republican and the Springfield Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) Advisory Board, with support from local advertisers. It is being produced as part of our Earth Day 2022 Celebration. MRF Advisory Board members, Jan Ameen (Franklin County Solid Waste Management District), Kathleen Casey (Hilltown Resource Management Cooperative), Tracy DeMaio (Hampden County), Amy Donovan (Franklin County Solid Waste Management District), Cristina Ferrera (City of Springfield), Abbey Massaro (Hampden County), Arlene Miller (Hampden County), Michael Pattavina (Franklin County), Susan Waite (Mass DEP) and Rene Wood (Berkshire County) wrote or contributed to the text. Arlene Miller, Chair of the Advisory Board says, “It is our hope that both residents and businesses continue to find the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Guide a valuable tool in managing wanted and unwanted materials. Please support our advertisers and tell them you saw their ad in this Recycle Guide! “
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
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Dear Residents and Business Owners: The Springfield Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) Advisory Board is please to celebrate this 52nd anniversary of Earth Day with you. The solid waste industry seems to change quickly. Two years ago we saw the recycling markets crash. Last year during the pandemic, the news was all about the recyclability of pizza boxes, the development of domestic markets and an increase in commodity market values. Good news: the recycling markets remain strong, our materials ARE being recycled and local communities are currently receiving a per-ton revenue share for their recyclables. This year the hot topic is the rapid decline in disposal capacity in western Mass and the new 2030 Mass DEP Solid Waste Master Plan (SWMP) announcing 3 new waste bans (commercial food waste, textiles and mattresses). Disposal capacity and waste bans are very connected. Do you remember when every town had its very own dump? New environmental regulations enacted in the late 1970s to the early 1980s required most small, unlined local municipal dumps to be closed. Small municipal dumps were replaced by large lined landfills. (Think Bondi’s Island or the Chicopee landfill). In the 90s, two Waste to Energy (WTE) facilities were built in our region. Today, 40 years later, there are no operational landfills remaining in western Mass and the two WTE facilities will be closing and repurposed into large transfer stations. Have no fear. Our trash will be collected and taken care of – but at what cost? Mass DEP has been aware of the disposal capacity issue for many years. The recently released SWMP speaks of how to manage our waste. With a 2030 goal to reduce the State’s solid waste 30%, the plan includes the addition of 3 new waste bans. Effective in November 2022, large amounts of food waste (more than ½ ton/week), all textiles and mattresses will be banned from trash. The new waste bans create an incentive and opportunity to send these 3 material streams to be recycled or reused. Food waste from large or small entities can be composted, textiles have value in reuse and recycling and mattresses can be disassembled for recycling. All of these activities take what could have been trash and turn the materials into a far higher value use. Here we are again, at a turning point in managing our trash. We have evolved from having a local town dump to now being required to pay for transporting our town’s trash out of state, in some cases as far as the Carolinas. Repair, reduce, reuse and recycle are actions we all are familiar with. Look for articles about all of these topics in this 2022 Earth Day RRR guide. Remember, reducing our trash is not only good for the environment. It is good for our town’s budget as well. We are pleased to celebrate the 14th edition of this Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Guide in partnership with The Republican, and send special thanks to the Western Massachusetts business owners that make production of this useful resource possible through their advertising support.
Sincerely,
Arlene C. Miller Arlene C. Miller Chair, MRF Advisory Board
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS REGIONAL RECYCLING PROGRAM
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM
FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022 | S3
Local Innovation Creates
Industry-Leading Recycling Facility A lot has changed since the early days of recycling programs in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Then, communities were focused on managing landfills that were overwhelmed and overloaded with a surge of plastic and other products on the market. In order to relieve the stress on waste stream systems, recycling programs started in towns and cities across the country. Over the years, consumer consumption has grown, and so have the types of packaging and waste being thrown out. “Today’s curbside material isn’t what it was even just 1015 years ago,” says Jonathan Murray, director of operations for Murphy Road Recycling, in Berlin, CT. “It was heavy on newspaper and relatively clean. Today’s stream is full of small cardboard boxes and shipping envelopes, which required us to innovate and change our
thinking around how we sort recyclables.” The environmental impact waste has had on our communities and the world inspired Murphy Road to make a difference by creating the most advanced recycling facility in the Northeast. “We are proud of our deep roots in Connecticut and Western Massachusetts, and excited to leverage our local knowledge
and industry-leading expertise to modernize and transform recycling in the region,” says Frank Antonacci of Murphy Road Recycling. Murphy Road’s new stateof-the-art facility features an unprecedented 11 optical scanners, which identify and separate materials, and incorporates robotics, artificial intelligence and several redundancy mechanisms to ensure
valuable material is recovered. The design includes equipment to target paper, cardboard, boxboard, glass and five types of plastic.
In addition to producing high-quality recyclables, the recycling facility is designed to keep its employees safer. “The health and safety of our employees is our number one concern at Murphy Road Recycling,” Antonacci says. “That is why we invested heavily in automation to further increase the safety and productivity of the facility.” Antonacci adds, “As material trends change over time, today’s machines can be reprogrammed to adapt, keeping the system viable. This material recover facility is built to solve the recycling challenges of today with technologies that can address the ever-evolving recycling stream of tomorrow.”
S4 | FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM
Why Can’t We Recycle
Everything? By Brooke Nash
shape criteria. A plastic tooth brush or a plastic credit card slip through the machinery because they’re too small to be In our humble opinion, captured. this was the best question the Then there’s stuff that’s just Recycle Smart MA team replain dangerous at the MRF, ceived at a live webinar for the like rechargeable batteries general public called Ask Me from phones which hold heat Anything About Recycling in and a charge even after they no Massachusetts. Why do we like longer work. These cause fires this question so much? First, it at MRFs on a regular basis. Or gives us the chance to explain tanglers – like plastic hoses, some of what happens “behind metal chains, electric cables the recycling curtain”. And if and string lights – which wrap you understand more about around the sorting equipment the next stop for your recyand have to be manually cut off cling after it leaves the curb or by workers. your local transfer station, the Finally, if the package or recycling rules just might make container doesn’t have a viable a little more sense. market – meaning no one wants Let’s explore this and the to use it to make a new product – it’s not recyclable. At all nine other top questions that were put to our expert panel by an Massachusetts MRFs, materiaudience of inquiring recyclers. als must meet the same three criteria to be recycled, whether at home, school or work: Why Can’t We 1) The material should not Recycle Everything? Here’s the honest truth – our harm the workers or equiprecycling systems (aka Materiment at the sorting facility. 2) The recycling equipment als Recovery Facilities) - which must be designed to sort and are built to last 10 to 20 years process the material. and cost millions in engineering and equipment - simply 3) There must be a consistent can’t adapt quickly enough market (a buyer) for the to handle the ever-changing material. stream of consumer packaging and products that fill our What can you do in the grocery carts or arrive at our meantime? Let’s recycle all door steps. To be sure, there’s the “YES” items we can! Avoid lot of innovation happening in the temptation to “wish cycle”. the recycling world. Material And make your voice heard by Recovery Facilities or MRFs contacting your favorite brands (pronounced “Murph”) now to tell them you want recyclable use optical sorters instead of packaging only! manual labor to identify the kind of resin a plastic bottle is Which Plastic Bags Can I made from. Some MRFs have Recycle and Where? started using robots and artiWith so many questions ficial intelligence to do certain about plastic bags, we’re sharsorting jobs. But fundamental- ing the most common here. ly, MRFs are designed to sort • Which type of bag is okay in the most COMMON packages the household recycling bin? and containers in our homes Answer: none that meet certain size and • Which plastic bags can I Branch Chief – Municipal Waste Reduction, Mass Dept of Environmental Protection
recycle at the grocery store plastic bag collections bins? Answer: more than you think! Bread bags, produce bags, dry cleaning, ziplock, wrap from toilet paper and paper towels, newspaper bags, and more. Find a full list at bagandfilmrecycling.org. and other retail locations. • How about bubble wrap? Answer: put it with plastic bags and take to retail drop-off • What about putting recyclables in those large blue tinted plastic bags sold by brand names and labeled “recycling”? Answer: Recycling in a plastic bag will be thrown away at the MRF. The takeaway: NO plastic bags should go in the recycling (no matter the type, number, color, etc.). They should be taken back to grocery stores or other locations that take them.
Does the number on plastics matter? Short answer: NO. First off – we agree, plastics are complicated. The ubiquitous number inside a recycling symbol on plastic items is arguably the single greatest source of confusion for the recycling public. The number, known as the Resin Identification Code, indicates the type of plastic resin the item in question is made of. But that number appears on thousands of items - from blister packs to plastic storage bins to children’s toys and automotive parts - that CAN’T be recycled at most recycling facilities. The resin code is so misleading that California just passed a Truth in Advertising Law that prohibits the recycling symbol on anything deemed not recyclable (i.e. it can’t be sold and remade into new products).
If your town says no to pizza boxes, then they aren’t current on recycling industry standards. Email us at recyclesmartma@mass.gov and we’ll reach out to educate them. Speaking of Paper…. Paper and paper-based packaging amount to more than two thirds of what’s in our recycling bins, by weight. We have answers to dozens of paper products recycling questions in the Recyclopedia. If you haven’t already, give it a search! How wet is too wet and what about sticky notes? Most of the paper recycling questions we got were about moisture and size. Here’s the deal – both issues can be problematic. When it comes to size, think bigger than a credit card (this means no shredded paper). If you’ve got a small post-it note, stick it to a bigger piece of paper. As for moisture, your paper should be dry, but a few drops of water won’t hurt. Leaving your recycling uncovered in a rain or snowstorm will. And a jar half full of spaghetti sauce that breaks and splatters all over the paper is also a problem, so remember to empty and rinse jars to keep your paper ready for recycling.
So how DO I know what plastic is recyclable? The best rule of thumb is to forget about the numbers. Instead, focus on the shape: if it’s a bottle, jug, jar or tub put it in the recycling bin. Of course, it wouldn’t be complicated if there weren’t exceptions (e.g., Do I have to remove clear plastic cups, plastic egg tape from boxes? cartons, and clear plastic clam Some outdated recycling shell containers are also recyrules die hard. Recycling tech- clable. If you have plastic item nology has evolved over the you’re unsure about, remember Till We Meet Again We know the rules can get last 30 years. What used to be to consult the Recyclopedia at a MUST (taking labels off cans, www.recyclesmartma.org. complicated, but don’t give up! removing plastic windows from Your smart recycling matters and the more you recycle, the envelopes) is now completely Pizza Boxes – Yes or No? OPTIONAL. To make your Pizza boxes are IN. REALLY. fewer natural resources we lives a little easier, we summed You can put your EMPTY pizza consume. Recycling also reduces our dependence on fossil up the myths we heard (below). box in the recycling. Grease is To be clear, there is nothing okay. Helpful suggestion: Fold fuels, because it requires less energy to produce goods from wrong with taking these steps, the box inside out before you recycled materials than from but they are unnecessary. put it in the recycling. This You’re welcome. guarantees that the box is com- virgin resources. So please do your part and Recycle Smart. pletely empty so there are no surprises at the sorting facility. Bags, plastic film, and stuff in bags are the #1 contaminant at the MRF. They get caught in machinery and force the MRFs to have to stop their operations to cut them away – which puts workers at risk of injury.
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022 | S5
RECYCLES
The regional materials recycling facility (MRF) in Springfield sorts, bales, and sells recyclable paper and containers from over 65 73 Western Massachusetts communities. Owned by the State of Massachusetts and operated with guidance from the Department of Environmental Protection and a local advisory board, the Springfield MRF has processed over one million tons of Pioneer Valley recyclables since it opened in1989.
YES!
Please recycle these items:
WE PROCESS YOUR HOUSEHOLD CONTAINERS AND PAPER. Metal cans, foil, milk and juice cartons, glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles/jars/tubs/jugs, clear plastic hinged containers (clamshells). Labels and caps on bottles are okay. Clean papers, magazines/catalogs, greeting cards, gift wrap & gift tissue paper (no foils or metallics), paperbacks & phonebooks (covers okay), cardboard, paperboard, empty clean pizza boxes. Paper clips, staples and metal spirals are okay.
NO!
THANK YOU*
* PLEASE KEEP THESE ITEMS OUT OF THE HOUSEHOLD RECYCLING.
At the recycling facility, plastic bags, hoses and holiday lights cause safety hazards and shutdowns when they wrap around conveyor belts and equipment. Plastic bags, holiday lights and textiles can be recycled and/or donated in other locations. This NO list is not all-inclusive.
NO
TEXTILES!
NO
PLASTIC BAGS! OR BAGGED MATERIALS
NO ITEMS THAT WRAP AND TANGLE!
For information about recycling visit: www.springfieldmrf.org Paid for by the Springfield MRF Advisory Board.
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
S6 | FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022
THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM
WHAT DO I DO WITH...? This A-Z disposal guide (see “Scrap Metal”) was designed to provide ARTS, CRAFTS & HOBBY recycling options for ITEMS items that are not Some paints, solvents and accepted in municipal related materials are hazardrecycling, or to provide ous and should be brought to a hazardous waste collection. more information for Always check the label before some of the recyclable items. See the “Recycle tossing in the trash. See the Household Hazardous Waste in Western Mass” Event page in this guide for graphic in this guide for information on local hazardous information on what to waste collections. Crazycrayput in recycle bins, and ons.com offers a crayon recycling program and terracycle. what to leave out.
and zinc chloride in sizes A, AA, AAA, C & D, 9 volt, lantern size) manufactured after 1996 don’t contain mercury or other hazardous/recyclable materials & can be thrown away as trash. (Put plastic tape on contacts on 9-volts and lantern batteries before disposal or • Motor oil filters storage.) Check labels careSome auto supply stores fully; some batteries requiring (e.g. AutoZone) or auto repair shops accept oil filters special handling resemble alkaline batteries. for free recycling. Some municipal transfer stations ALL other battery varieties accept motor oil filters. Oil contain hazardous materials filters may be thrown away and require special disposal. com offers mail-in programs or recycled in scrap metal Never put these batteries in for art supplies, markers, and collections only when the oil recycling or trash bins. = Items that are hazardous pens. has been completely drained or require special handling. (while filter is still warm, There are many convenient ASBESTOS puncture the dome top & drop-off options for batteries, There are strict removal & disAEROSOL CANS drain into a collection consuch as transfer stations, Staposal requirements for asbesEmpty aerosol cans belong in tainer. Collect oil drips and ples, Home Depot, and Lowe’s tos. Contact the Western Rethe trash, unless they contain dispose of properly as used Stores. See the Community hazardous material (e.g. paint, gion of the Mass Department motor oil; see above entry). Recycling Information table of Environmental Protection: insecticide), in which case in this guide or search online they are household hazardous David Slowick; david.slowick@ • Antifreeze Antifreeze is not only hazwith your zip code at earth911. waste (see the Household Haz- mass.gov, 413-755-2246. To ardous; its deceiving color com. Some hazardous waste find licensed asbestos contracardous Waste Event page in & sweet taste may attract collections accept batteries; this guide). A handful of trans- tors, go to mass.gov and type children, pets & wild anisee the Household Hazard“Asbestos Contractors” into fer stations/recycling centers mals. Consider having your ous Waste Event page in this the search bar. accept completely empty, vehicle’s radiator flushed guide. More options for specifnon-hazardous aerosol cans in at a service station to avoid ic batteries: AUTOMOBILES scrap metal dumpsters (empty the responsibility associ(see “Vehicles”) cans are completely silent • Button batteries ated with proper storage & when the button is pushed). (found in watches, hearing disposal. Some auto supply See the Community Recycling AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTS aids, electronics & some stores accept antifreeze Information table in this guide Automotive products contain toys) are accepted free of for free recycling. Antimany hazardous materials & for local disposal information. charge at watch/jewelry freeze can be brought to a must be handled with care. Do More info: mass.gov/info-deshops or audiologist offices. household hazardous waste not dispose of in the trash, on tails/safely-manage-hazard• Lead acid batteries collection; see the Housethe ground or down the drain. ous-household-products. (found in vehicles, boats, hold Hazardous Waste Event Empty plastic automotive motorcycles, kids’ ride-on page in this guide. product jugs belong in the ALUMINUM FOIL, CANS & toys, lawn mowers) will be trash (replace caps first). Do • Brake fluid “DISPOSABLE” PANS accepted by the retailer not recycle them. Many towns Brake fluid is hazardous Rinse clean & recycle with from whom you buy a new accept automotive products at and must be brought to a bottles & cans. Acceptable one (they are required to transfer stations or hazardous household hazardous waste items include aluminum pie take one back at no charge). waste collections. See the collection. pans and take-out containers, Scrap metal recyclers Community Recycling Infordisposable roasting pans, and typically pay for lead acid BABY FOOD POUCHES clean aluminum foil (ball it up). mation table and Household batteries. Many transfer Hazardous Waste Event pages (see “Plastic Pouches”) stations accept them. in this guide. ALUMINUM SIDING • Lithium batteries BAGS (see “Scrap Metal”) • Motor oil (single use battery often (see “Plastics”) Even a small amount of imused for cameras) can AMMUNITION, properly disposed of motor resemble alkaline batteries, BALLASTS EXPLOSIVES oil will contaminate water but these should be recycled (see “Mercury & Mercury-conCall your Police Department & soil. In Massachusetts, properly: some municipalitaining Products”) for proper disposal instrucretailers that sell motor oil ties accept them. Check all tions. are required by law to accept batteries carefully before up to two gallons of used oil BATTERIES disposal; look for “Lithium” ANTIFREEZE at no charge with an original Never put batteries of any on the label. type in a regular recycle bin. (see “Automotive Products”) sales receipt. Many auto
APPLIANCES
supply stores, auto repair shops and quick oil change
chains will accept used oil even if you didn’t buy it from them. Many towns accept motor oil at transfer stations or hazardous waste collections. For assistance, call the MassDEP Used Oil Hotline at 617-556-1022.
Common single-use household batteries (alkaline, carbon zinc
• Rechargeable batteries contain heavy metals and
should never be thrown in the trash or put in recycling bins. These are found in rechargeable electronics such as cell phones, cordless phones, power tools, laptops, tablets, some digital cameras, camcorders, UPS battery back-ups, rechargeable toys, baby monitors, robotic vacuum cleaners, emergency medical equipment, rechargeable devices such as toothbrushes, razors, flashlights and hand-held vacuum cleaners, plus batteries that can be recharged with a battery charger. Most transfer stations accept rechargeable batteries, as do Home Depot, Lowes, and Staples stores. Rechargeable battery chemistries are Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH), Lithium Ion (Li-ion), Nickel-Zinc (Ni-Zn), and small Sealed Lead Acid (Pb) batteries (up to 11 pounds). For more information and options for recycling rechargeable batteries, go to call2recycle.org.
BEER AND SODA PACKAGING
It may look recyclable, but beer and soda cartons or cases contain plastic or bonding chemicals so that they stay strong when wet. The plastic and chemicals contaminate recyclable paper. Please place all “paper” beer and soda packaging in the trash. Plastic six-pack rings and four-pack can carriers are not accepted in household recycling. Flexible plastic six-pack rings get wrapped around sorting equipment at recycling facilities and pose a danger to wildlife. Cut up rings and put in the trash or collect and mail six-pack rings to the RingRecycleMe program (ringrecycleme. com). “Snap top” six or four-pack can carriers are often made with 100% recycled plastic, which provides a market for recycled plastic. However, snap tops are not acceptable in
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM
recycling because their size and shape make them challenging to sort. Mass Brew Bros has established a can carrier reuse program; save your snap tops and find a drop off location near you at: massbrewbros.com/can-carrier-recycling and paktech-opi.com.
BICYCLES
Working bicycles in good condition may be gifted to individuals via an online sharing group (e.g. a Buy Nothing Facebook group or Freecycle. org), or offered to charities (search online via “bicycle donation”) and other organizations that will use them. For recycling options, see “scrap metal.”
BOATS
See disposal suggestions for “Vehicles.” Metal boats are accepted at scrap metal dealers, while other varieties are sometimes accepted as bulky waste at municipal transfer stations (call to inquire). All automotive-type fluids must be first be drained and properly disposed.
BOOKS
shutdowns at recycling facilities. Metal screw-top lids from glass jars (e.g. pasta sauce, pickle jar) should be attached to the container. Loose metal food can lids are acceptable, but it is best to push them inside the can prior to recycling.
disposal requirements for CARTONS & C&D wastes in MA. For more DRINK BOXES information: mass.gov/lists/ This category includes “gable managing-construction-demo- top” refrigerated cartons for lition-cd-wastes. milk and orange juice, plus shelf-stable “aseptic packagUsed building materials in ing” for almond milk, soup, good condition can be donated and juice boxes. Cartons are to a reuse store such as Eco acceptable in single stream BOXES Building Bargains. Call prior recycling programs in western to delivery to confirm that your Mass. In dual stream recycling • Clean cardboard, boxboard, materials will be accepted, programs, cartons should be and paperboard boxes are or to arrange for free pickup. recycled along with bottles, recyclable (e.g., boxes from Deconstruction services may cans, and containers. Rinse cereal, crackers, tissues, be offered. Items might be cartons. Discard straws; plasshoes, gifts, etc.) Attached tax-deductible. tic caps & spouts may remain plastic windows may stay, on carton. Do not flatten. but discard all plastic liners. • EcoBuilding Bargains, 83 Flatten. Warwick St., Springfield, Ice cream cartons are not MA (413-788-6900; eco• Pizza Boxes are recyclable, accepted in recycling. Don’t buildingbargains.org) as long as they are empty. A include foil drink pouches 2020 study found that greasy (e.g., Capri Sun, Honest Kids) pizza boxes do NOT cause Wooden pallets can be reused in municipal recycling. See problems for recycled paper or recycled as “clean wood “Plastic Pouches” in this guide manufacturers. It is now OK waste.” Disposal options for for recycling options. to put the entire empty pizza large quantities include (but box into recycling (remove are not limited to) Martin’s CARTRIDGES (see “Ink, all crusts, food, foil, plastic, Farm (Greenfield: 413-774Printer & Toner Cartridges”) or waxed paper). Link to the 5631), 360 Recycling (Weststudy: tinyurl.com/pizzabox- field: 413-562-0193). CELL PHONES es2020 Cell phones should not be • Frozen food boxes, ice cream Note: pressure-treated wood put in the trash due to their should only be disposed of in a cartons, case boxes from reuse value & hazardous/ modern landfill. Do not put it soda or beer, and kitty litter in a backyard compost pile, a boxes should be placed in brush or chipping pile; do not the trash as they are not burn it or send it to a waste acceptable in recycling or incinerator for disposal. For composting. These boxes bulky waste disposal at local are made with “wet strength paper,” which contains plastic transfer stations, see the Community Recycling Information or bonding chemicals that help the boxes to stay strong table in this guide.
Books in good condition may be sold (used bookstores, tag sales), shared (book exchanges, swap shop), or donated (little free libraries, public libraries, fund-raising sales, or collection boxes). Reader when wet. The plastic and to Reader, an Amherst-based chemicals contaminate recynon-profit, collects liclable paper. brary-quality books and distributes them to U.S. schools BUBBLE WRAP & and public libraries (readerINFLATED PLASTIC toreader.org). Roundabout PACKAGING (Air pillows) Books, a Greenfield-based (see “Plastics”) bookstore accepts dry books in any condition and can recycle BUILDING & REMODELING unsalable hardcover books MATERIALS (roundaboutbookstore.com). Construction & demolition (“C&D”) waste includes Paperback books & phoneasphalt, asphalt shingles, books are considered recyclabricks, cement, cinder blocks, ble in small quantities, as are clapboard, concrete, doors, only the pages of hardback flooring, insulation, lumber, books. Covers and spines mortar, plaster, plywood, rooffrom hardcover books must ing, sheetrock, tiles, windows be removed and placed in the & wood. Fee-based disposal trash. options are available at many recycling/transfer stations; BOTTLE CAPS & LIDS for more information call Plastic caps & lids are recythe phone number listed for clable only when fastened to your town in the Community a plastic bottle/jar/jug/tub. Recycling Information table Loose plastic tops should be in this guide. Vehicles with a placed in the trash as they capacity greater than 5 cubic can create safety hazards and yards are subject to strict
CAMERAS
Staples stores, Best Buy stores, and many electronic waste (e-waste) recycling programs accept digital cameras for free. Canon has a mail-in recycling program: shop.usa. canon.com/shop/en/catalog/ recycling.
CANNING JARS
Canning jars (e.g. mason jars) are not recyclable because of the thick, heat resistant glass. Reuse, give to a friend who can use them, put in a tag sale or swap shop at a transfer station, or place in the trash.
CARPET
Flor® offers a free mail-back recycling program for carpet squares (flor.com/recycle). Some nonprofit organizations accept relatively clean carpet for reuse. For local disposal information, see the Community Recycling Information table in this guide
FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022 | S7
recyclable components. Do not put cell phones in recycle bins. Numerous charitable & for-profit organizations accept cell phone donations. Search online using “cell phone donation” or check out recyclingforcharities.com, call2recycle. org/locator or earth911.com. Stores that sell cell phones will also accept them for free recycling, and many cell phone manufacturers offer buy-back programs through the mail. Many municipal transfer stations also accept them for special recycling programs, as do Home Depot, Lowes, and Staples stores.
CHRISTMAS TREES (see “Yard Waste”)
CIGARETTE BUTTS
Terracycle’s “Cigarette Waste Brigade” (terracycle.com) accepts extinguished cigarettes, filters, loose tobacco pouches, outer plastic and inner foil packaging for recycling into plastic lumber and other products. SEE WHAT, PAGE S8
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
S8 | FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022
What CONTINUED FROM PAGE S7
CLAMSHELLS & CLEAR MOLDED PLASTICS (see “Plastics”)
CLEANERS
(see “Household Hazardous Waste”)
CLOTHING & TEXTILES
On 11/1/22 textiles will be banned from the trash in Massachusetts. There are many local reuse & donation opportunities for all textiles & shoes. Deliver CLEAN & DRY textiles & clothing to drop-off boxes serviced by organizations such as the Salvation Army (easternusa.salvationarmy.org) & donation centers such as Goodwill Industries (goodwill. org). Many municipal transfer stations host textile drop boxes. DO include items that are torn, stained, with missing buttons or broken zippers, as these organizations sell damaged textiles to recyclers to be made into insulation. Acceptable items include these CLEAN & DRY items: mismatched socks, shoes and gloves; all clothing and accessories including belts, ties, underwear & purses; and linens such as curtains, toss pillows, light comforters, sheets, towels, and stuffed animals in any condition. Some animal shelters also accept old sheets, blankets, pillowcases, bedspreads, throw rugs & towels for reuse. To find local clothing consignment stores or quality used clothing, go to thethriftshopper.com. See also thredUP. com, swap.com, poshmark. com, and wornwear.patagonia. com. Bras can be donated to Salvation Army or Goodwill; any items that are not in good condition will be baled and sold for textile recycling. New & gently used bras can be mailed to The Bra Recyclers for distribution to women in transition around the world: brarecycling. com; 480-988-2283. Some non-profit organizations target specific types of clothing to benefit those in need,
such as professional clothing and wedding dresses (westernmass.dressforsuccess.org; donatemyweddingdress.org
COAT HANGERS
Do not put hangers of any type in recycling bins: hangers get caught in machinery at recycling facilities. Some charitable organizations accept hangers for reuse or resale. Metal hangers are accepted for reuse by some dry cleaners & are also accepted for recycling as scrap metal at most recycling/transfer stations. Unfortunately, plastic hangers are not recyclable and should be put in trash when they are no longer useable.
COMPACT FLUORESCENT LAMPS
(“see Mercury & Mercury-containing Products”)
COMPUTERS & TV’S (see “Electronics”)
CONSTRUCTION & DEMOLITION WASTE
(see “Building & Remodeling Materials”)
COOKING OIL
Never pour cooking oil down the drain. Liquids should be kept out of trash, recycling, and municipal compost bins. Lifecycle Renewables accepts vegetable oil by appointment from individuals. It also provides containers and pays for the oil at food service providers: 888-461-9831, lifecyclerenewables.com. Lifecycle Renewables’ used cooking oil is transformed into replacements for fossil fuels. Western Mass Rendering provides dumpsters for large collections: westernmassrendering.com; 413-5696265.
CORKS
Corks should not be put in recycling bins, carts, or dumpsters. Natural corks can be crumbled & added to a backyard compost bin or put in municipal/commercial composting. ReCORK recycles natural wine & champagne corks (no plastic corks); local drop off sites are listed at recork.org. Wine corks can be reused in many creative ways (search online for “cork art”).
COSMETICS CONTAINERS Not recyclable in municipal recycling programs. Mail-in recycling programs for empty cosmetics containers can be found at terracycle.com and maccosmetics.com/giving_ back/back_to_mac.tmpl
CUPS
Clear plastic cups are accepted in household recycling (rinse; lids and straws in the trash). Other types of plastic cups are NOT acceptable for recycling: polystyrene (#6 plastic), colored keg cups, and opaque plastic cups. If a clear cup is labeled “compostable,” it should NOT go in recycling. Compostable cups may go in municipal or commercial compost programs. “Compostable plastic” products are not designed to compost in home compost bins or piles. Paper cups, including traditional paper coffee cups, are not recyclable and must be placed in the trash. Coffee cup lids are too small to be recycled. Cardboard sleeves are recyclable. Some paper coffee cups (and some lids) are designed to be compostable in municipal or commercial compost programs; check for text that says “BPI certified” or “compostable.”
EGG CARTONS
Clear plastic egg cartons are recyclable. Paper & Styrofoam™ egg cartons are not accepted in recycling, but are often reused by backyard chicken farmers. Paper cartons may be composted in municipal compost collections or in home compost bins, if ripped into pieces.
ELECTRONICS
State regulations prohibit disposal of screen-based electronics such as laptops, tablets, iPads, Kindles, flat screen TVs, monitors and CRTs (cathode ray tubes) in household trash. Most municipal transfer stations offer electronics recycling programs, although disposal fees may apply; see your town’s website or call town hall for pricing. Electronics that are mostly metal, such as computer towers, DVD players, and
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stereo components can also go in scrap metal recycling at transfer stations and recycle centers. Staples stores accept computer-related electronic waste for free recycling; call your local store for details. Staples does not accept TVs. Best Buy accepts TVs for a fee, and also accepts a wide range of electronic waste for free recycling. For more information, call your local store or visit their website and search for “recycling.” Computer manufacturers sometimes offer electronics recycling or trade-in programs; visit their websites for details. Various charities and non-profits accept donations of working electronics, including local Salvation Army and Goodwill stores. Always call ahead to ask if they can accept your item.
ELECTRONIC MEDIA
(CDs, DVDs, VHS, Cassette Tapes)) Do not put electronic media or cases in your household recycling, put them in the trash. CD cases easily shatter, and the glass-like shards create hazards at the recycling facility. If selling or donating used media is not an option (some communities accept certain types via book donation programs), greendisk. com and terracycle.com offer fee-based, mail-in recycling options.
EYEGLASSES
Contact your local Lion’s Club (lionsclubs.org) for the nearest collection box or mail eyeglass frames and prescription lenses to: Lions Clubs International Headquarters, 300 W. 22nd Street, Oak Brook, IL 60523. In addition, eyeglasses may be dropped in a collection box at a participating Walmart Vision Center. If eyeglasses can’t be reused, put in the household trash as they are not recyclable.
FERTILIZERS & PESTICIDES
(see “Household Hazardous Waste”)
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS • Fire extinguishers are considered hazardous because their contents are under
pressure. Units manufactured prior to 1984 may contain dangerous chemicals. For disposal and recycling: • Businesses & property managers can contact their fire control service provider. • Some municipal transfer stations accept newer fire extinguishers for special recycling along with propane tanks; see the Community Recycling Information table in this guide for local contact information. • Some municipal hazardous waste collections may accept older fire extinguishers: ask before bringing them to a collection. • MA Fire Technologies accepts fire extinguishers for a fee (49 Heywood Ave, West Springfield; massfire.com, 800-244-6769). • New England Disposal Technologies (Westfield, MA) accepts fire extinguishers for a fee (nedt.org; 866769-1621).
FIREWORKS
Live fireworks are extremely dangerous and must be disposed of with great caution; call your local Fire Department. Do not throw unused fireworks in the trash or household recycling.
FLAGS
To properly dispose of U.S. flags no longer in usable condition, contact the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), your town hall, or scout troops. Other flags may be recycled in textile recycling programs.
FLUORESCENT BULBS & LAMPS
(see “Mercury & Mercury-containing Products”)
FOOD SCRAPS
(also see “Cooking Oil”) Food scraps and leftovers are heavy to transport and contribute to climate change when they decompose in landfills; composting food waste makes better environmental and economic sense. Local composting options include home composting, curbside pick-up by a private waste hauler, and municipal transfer station compost programs (in Amherst, Bernardston,
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
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Deerfield, Greenfield, Hadley, Leverett, Montague, New Salem, Northampton, Northfield, Orange, Wendell & Whately). Find a private hauler near you at: recyclingworksma.com. Many municipalities offer discounted purchase programs for countertop collection pails and home compost bins; see the Community Recycling Information table in this guide for local contact information. For home composting instructions, visit mass.gov and search for “home compost.” On 11/1/22, Massachusetts businesses, organizations and institutions that create ½ ton of food waste per week will be required to keep it out of the trash and instead reduce it, donate it, or send it out for animal feed, composting, or anaerobic digestion. RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts provides free assistance, food waste estimation tools, hauler lists, and more at: recyclingworksma.com
FRUIT SNACK POUCHES (see “Plastic Pouches”)
FURNITURE
Furniture in good condition can be sold or donated for reuse. Donating mattresses & box springs can be difficult, as most charities don’t accept them. When you purchase a new mattress, ask the retailer to take back and recycle the old one. Some transfer stations in western MA accept mattresses for recycling; fees apply. Mattress recycling will be mandatory in MA as of 11/1/22, except for those that are contaminated. For local disposal information, see the Community Recycling Information table in this guide.
GOLF BALLS AND CLUBS
Golf balls can’t be recycled, but they may be reused. Contact local golf courses or driving ranges to see if they will accept them or donate them, along with clubs, to First Tee-Massachusetts programs to empower kids and teens through golf. (firstteemass.org; 300 Arnold Palmer Blvd., Norton MA; 774-430-9100). Some 2nd hand stores will accept clubs for resale.
GREETING CARDS
Cards are recyclable with paper if they do not contain metallic inks, glitter, foil, or batteries. Remove electronics from singing greeting cards & recycle button batteries in battery recycling programs (see “Batteries”). St. Jude’s Ranch for Children runs a greeting card reuse program; note restrictions on certain brands: stjudesranch.org/recycled-card-program.
HEARING AIDS
The National Hearing Aid Project accepts used hearing aids for refurbishment and distribution to those that need them: hearingaiddonations.org, 816-895-2410. Also check with your hearing aid specialist for reuse options. If your hearing aid is not worth salvaging, remove the button battery and recycle it in a battery recycling program (see “Batteries”), then place the hearing aid in the trash.
HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE
bels. Search online for “(name of manufacturer) cartridge recycling program.”
JUNK MAIL & CATALOGS
Unwanted mail & catalogs are recyclable, but it makes more sense to reduce them at the source. Here are four free services to do so: • Remove your name from commercial mailing lists: directmail.com/mail_preference; • Stop delivery of unwanted catalogs, enter catalog name at catalogchoice.org; • End pre-approved credit card & insurance offers: optoutprescreen.com;
FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022 | S9
be kept out of recycling bins. Fluorescent bulbs should be kept out of trash. • Fluorescent bulbs and compact fluorescent bulbs (“CFLs”) contain mercury vapor and require special disposal (see “mercury & mercury-containing products” in this guide). Handle carefully to avoid breakage. • LED light bulbs can go in the trash but contain valuable materials and may be recycled with CFLs, if a collection site accepts them (see “mercury & mercury-containing products”). • Incandescent light bulbs and halogen light bulbs are not recyclable. Wrap incandescent light bulbs in used paper or plastic before placing them in the trash.
• Take your name off phonebook mailing lists: yellowpagesoptout.com
KEYS
Unwanted keys can be recycled via a scrap metal dumpster at a municipal transfer station (see the Community Recycling Information table in this guide,) or brought to a local scrap metal dealer.
LIGHT STRINGS
Holiday light strings are NOT accepted in municipal recycling programs because they get wrapped around sorting equipment. Some scrap metal dealers and scrap metal dumpsters at transfer stations will accept them for recycling. Broken string lights can be mailed to Christmas Light Source (christmaslight-source.com) or Holiday LEDs (holidayleds.com) for a discount on a future order.
First, consider using up the product according to package LATEX PAINT directions, or giving it away to (see “Paint & Paint-related someone who will. Products Products”) with label warnings & words like caustic, toxic, corrosive, poison, flammable, danger & LIGHT BULBS “keep out of reach of children” Light bulbs of all types should all require special handling. See the Household Hazardous Waste Event page in this guide for information about local household hazardous waste collections in western MA. New England Disposal Technologies (Westfield, MA) accepts many household Big Brother Big Sister Foundation hazardous wastes year-round for modest fees (nedt.org; 866You can schedule a free home 769-1621). For safer alternapick up and help children in your tives to hazardous household community. products visit: lesstoxicguide. ca, or ecocycle.org/hazwaste/ ecofriendly-cleaning
FREE HOME PICKUP!
INK, PRINTER & TONER CARTRIDGES
Staples and Best Buy stores accept used cartridges for reuse or recycling (and possibly earn store rewards). Other options may be found via a search on earth911.com or find mail-in donation programs via an online search (“cartridge donations”). Many manufactures have their own take back programs with free mailing la-
Scan and schedule your pickup today! Call or text PICKUP to 508-466-4590 for your free home pickup Visit our website bbbsfoundation.org
MARDI GRAS BEADS
Mail unwanted Mardi Gras beads and trinkets to the Arc of Greater New Orleans’ reuse program: ArcGNO, 925 Labarre Road, Metairie, LA 70001 (arcgno.org; 504-369-4033).
MATTRESSES & BOX SPRINGS (see “Furniture”)
MEDICATIONS & PHARMACEUTICALS
Disposal of unwanted medication must be done carefully for several important reasons. Medications should NOT be poured down the drain or flushed down the toilet. Wastewater treatment plants & septic systems are not designed to remove pharmaceuticals from wastewater. Medications should not be thrown in the trash; see below for disposal options. Help protect the environment and stop prescription drug misuse and abuse. Bring your unwanted, expired, or unused medications to one of the sites below for safe disposal. Many area police departments offer permanent drop-off boxes
SEE WHAT, PAGE S10
DONATE TODAY! BAGGED
• All types, sizes and styles of clothing • Household textiles • All shoes and sneakers BOXED
• Kitchen Accessories • Small decor items • Small musical instruments • Books and DVDs • Bicycles *All donations are tax deductible. No furniture.
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S10 | FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022
What CONTINUED FROM PAGE S9
for free disposal of prescription and nonprescription drugs, vitamins, and veterinary medications: Agawam, Amherst, Ashfield, Athol, Belchertown, Bernardston, Buckland, Chicopee, Cummington, Deerfield, Easthampton, East Longmeadow, Erving, Goshen, Granby, Greenfield, Hadley, Hampden, Hatfield, Holyoke, Leverett, Longmeadow, Ludlow, Monson, Montague, Northampton, Orange, Palmer, Pelham, South Hadley, Southampton, Southwick, Sunderland, Ware, West Springfield, Westfield, Whately, Wilbraham, and Williamsburg. You do not need to be a resident to use the drop boxes in any of these towns. Accepted items: prescription and non-prescription drugs, vitamins and veterinary meds. NO liquids, syringes (see ”Needles & Sharps” below), IV equipment or chemotherapy drugs. For more information visit northwesternda.org/addiction-recovery/pages/drugdrop-boxes. Many national chain pharmacies have free drop boxes for prescription medications. Call your local store for availability or search a DEA listing of disposal sites at tinyurl.com/ deadisp. For acceptable items, see signage on the drop boxes, call stores or visit pharmacy websites. Some stores that do not have drop boxes offer the DisposeRX program: disposerx.com National Prescription Drug Take-Back Days are scheduled for every April and October. DEA’s next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is April 30, 2022 from 10 am to 2 pm. Find an upcoming collection by visiting deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/ takeback If you are truly unable to deliver medications to a drop box or a take-back day, medications may be safely disposed of in the following manner: 1) Remove any personal info from labels that could be used to obtain refills; 2) Render medications unattractive to children, pets & thieves by
dissolving pills or tablets in a small amount of water or rubbing alcohol (pour liquid medication into a container of kitty litter or sand); 3) Place in two sealed plastic bags; and 4) Conceal the package in your trash. If you have large quantities of medications, consider disposing of them in smaller batches over time or bringing to a collection or drop box. Do not flush prescription drugs down the toilet or drain unless the label or accompanying patient information specifically instructs you to do so. Due to their small size, empty pill bottles are not recyclable. Be creative with reuse! For example, some animal shelters collect empty pill bottles to send medicines home with adoptees.
MERCURY & MERCURY-CONTAINING PRODUCTS
Mercury is highly toxic and requires special disposal. It is not hazardous when contained in a sealed device. Reduce exposure by placing items in sealed plastic bags & handling them carefully to avoid breakage. Never put mercury (or items containing mercury) in trash or recycling bins, on the ground, or down a drain. Don’t vacuum even the smallest spill. Instructions for handling mercury exposure can be found at: www.mass. gov; enter “mercury” in the search bar or search the web for “broken CFL” or “mercury spill.” If a mercury spill does occur, follow the MassDEP’s guide on safely cleaning it up: mass.gov/guides/massdep-mercury-information. Call the Mass DEP Mercury Hotline if you have questions about mercury or managing it safely: 866-9MERCURY (866963-7287). For local disposal information for the following mercury items, see the Community Recycling Information table and the Western Mass Household Hazardous Waste Event pages in this guide.
• Fluorescent light bulbs All fluorescent light bulbs (even the low-mercury bulbs with green tips) contain mercury vapor; never put fluorescent light bulbs in trash or recycling. For local disposal information see the Community Recycling
Information table in this guide. In addition: • Businesses can see a list of vendors who can pick up larger quantities at recyclingworksma.com. • Residents can refer to the MassDEP’s Mercury Disposal Map: tinyurl.com/ MassMercuryMap • For assistance with disposal outlets, dial the MassDEP Mercury Hotline at: (866) 9-MERCURY. Recycling options vary based on the type of bulb: • Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) fit in standard screw-type light sockets & are made of a glass tube. They come in a variety of shapes and styles and can be encased by an outer glass bulb. Accepted at most municipal transfer stations (handle carefully and hand to attendant) and some Hazardous Waste Collections. For local disposal information see the Community Recycling Information table and the Household Hazardous Waste Event pages in this guide. Free recycling for CFL bulbs is offered at Home Depot and Lowe’s Stores. • Larger fluorescent tubes are the types that do not fit in standard screw-type sockets. These include long straight, circular or U-shaped tubes, tanning bed lamps, High Intensity Discharge (HIDs), & neon light tubing. Accepted at most municipal transfer stations and some Hazardous Waste Collections; see the Community Recycling Information table in this guide for local disposal information. Straight lamps and others are accepted free of charge at Lowe’s Stores. Handle carefully to avoid breakage. Do not tape bulbs together. • Thermometers Many older household thermometers (fever, candy, meat, deep fry, oven, temperature) can contain liquid mercury. A mercury thermometer can be identified by the presence of a silver bulb at the end of a glass tube. Accepted
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in special programs at many municipal transfer stations and some Hazardous Waste Collections; see the Community Recycling Information table in this guide for local disposal information. Handle carefully and seal in a plastic bag. If the thermometer liquid and bulb is red, blue, purple or green, it is not a mercury thermometer and it can go in the trash.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Donate used musical instruments to Hungry for Music (hungryformusic.org), and they will distribute them to underserved children in the US & abroad. Buy reused instruments locally by searching online.
NEEDLES & SHARPS
MA Sanitary Code states that it is illegal to dispose of sharps (hypodermic needles, syringes, lancets, & all other medical • Thermostats “sharps”) as trash. Never put Updating to a programa container full of sharps in mable thermostat? Don’t your recycling bin. Collection throw away your old wall-mounted thermostats: programs are available in many towns; call your Health they contain a significant Department or see a listing of amount of liquid mercuall the sharps programs in the ry. Leave thermostats state, go to mass.gov and type in one piece, place in a “needle disposal” in the search sealed plastic bag, and bar. Sharps containers are handle carefully to avoid available for purchase at pharbreakage. In addition to special municipal collection macies, and they often include programs (see the Commu- disposal options. Several mailin disposal programs are availnity Recycling Information table in this guide), mercury able; search online for “sharps mail-in programs.” Stericycle thermostats are accepted is an example of a company for free recycling by some that picks up sharps for safe plumbers and plumbing disposal from businesses that retail stores (search by zip code using “Plumbing Sup- generate sharps: stericycle. plies”). For more locations, com or 866-783-7422. go to thermostat-recycle. PACKAGING MATERIALS org. (also see “Plastics”) • Ballasts Online purchasing has inMost fluorescent light creased the amount of packagfixtures produced before ing in the waste stream. Most 1979 contained ballasts of these materials are reuswith PCBs (polychloriable; some are also recyclable: nated biphenyls), a highly • Cardboard boxes can be toxic substance. PCB-free reused, & flattened boxes ballasts are marked “No can be recycled in municipal PCBs.” PCB ballasts are recycling programs. typically collected in special programs at the same • Foam peanuts: see “Plastics” sites as larger fluorescent tube-type bulbs. Electronic • Cornstarch peanuts may be composted in a backyard and other non-PCB ballasts bin, reused, or placed in the are safe to go into trash trash. However, these are or bulky waste, but are not accepted by commercial often not accepted in scrap composting facilities or at metal recycling bins. See packing shipping stores. the Community Recycling • Styrofoam™ blocks & Information table in this shapes: see “Plastics” guide for local disposal information. • Packing paper is reusable as
MICROWAVES
(see “Scrap Metal”)
MOTH BALLS
(see “Household Hazardous Waste”)
MOTOR OIL & FILTERS (see “Automotive Products”)
well as recyclable.
• Plastic sealed air packaging and bubble wrap are reusable. Once deflated, they can be recycled with plastic bags (see “plastics” for retail store recycling programs). Accepted for reuse by some pack & ship stores. • Amazon’s plastic envelope
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mailers are recyclable with plastic bags (see “plastics” for retail store recycling programs).
PAINT & PAINT-RELATED PRODUCTS
If your unwanted paint was purchased recently & it’s in good condition, consider donating it for reuse. Many school or community theatre groups will accept quality paint products. You may also offer useable paint via an online sharing group (e.g. Freecycle.org or a Buy Nothing Facebook group). • Petroleum (oil-based) paints, stains, thinners, & varnishes are considered hazardous materials, requiring proper disposal (see the Community Recycling Information table and Household Hazardous Waste Event pages in this guide.). • New England Disposal Technologies (Westfield, MA) accepts all types of paint year-round for modest fees (nedt.org; 866-7691621). • Latex paint & water-based stains can be thrown away when completely hardened. Speed up the process by adding latex paint hardener (available in hardware stores) or by stirring in clean kitty litter to the consistency of thick oatmeal & allowing the mix to harden. When the contents are no longer liquid, you can put the open paint can (without the lid) in your household trash.
PALLETS
(see wood under “Building & Remodeling Materials”)
PANTYHOSE
Recycled Crafts recycles pantyhose, nylon knee-highs, and tights into pet toys, rugs, placemats, and table runners. They accept clean hosiery in any condition, even those with rips and snags. Email recycledcrafts@live.com for donation information, or visit: savemyhosiery.yolasite.com. Hosiery is also accepted in textile recycling programs, see “Clothing & Textiles.” Plastic bags should never go into municipal recycling
Some plastic items cause problems at recycling facilities, cost too much to recycle, are unwanted by manufacturers, or are recyclable only through separate recycling programs. Please do not add these to your household or municipal recycling mix: • Plastic bags, plastic wraps • Black plastic (microwavable containers, food trays, etc.) • Forks, spoons, knives & serving utensils • Plastic items that are smaller than a credit card (e.g. loose caps, straws, condiment cups, Rx bottles) • Plastic containers greater than 2.5 gallons in size • Plastic plates and colored/ opaque plastic cups (clear plastic cups are accepted in recycling unless labeled “Compostable”) • Containers or cups labeled “biodegradable” or “compostable”
programs. Some plastic bag recycling programs in retail and grocery stores will accept pellet bags (call first). Pellet bags must be dry and completely EMPTY. Turn inside out, shake out, flatten and stack empty bags, roll up the stack and place the roll in an empty pellet bag. Ask your pellet supplier about bulk delivery (avoids bags), recycling programs, or take back programs.
PET FOOD BAGS, BIRD SEED BAGS, ANIMAL FEED BAGS
PHOTOGRAPHS
Traditional, glossy photographs are not acceptable in recycling because of the photographic chemical coatings in the paper. Old photographs are safe to throw in the trash. More modern photographs may or may not be recyclable depending on the printing process and the type of paper used. Home-printed photographs are acceptable in recycling.
PIZZA BOXES
Pizza Boxes: A 2020 study by West Rock (a major US corrugated cardboard manuPlastic bags that contained pet facturer) found that grease on food, animal feed, or bird seed pizza boxes does NOT cause are not recyclable in municiproblems for recycled paper pal recycling or in plastic bag manufacturers, as previously recycling programs at retail thought. It is now OK to put stores. Unfortunately, neither the ENTIRE pizza box into are paper feed bags because recycling…but it MUST be they are lined with plastic to empty (no crusts, food, foil, keep moisture out of the feed. plastic, or waxed paper). Link However, Terracycle offers a to the study: tinyurl.com/pizzfew pet food bag recycling aboxes2020 programs, some of which have local drop-off sites . Go to PLASTICS terracycle.com and type “pet Many people assume that all food bags” in the search bar. plastic items are accepted The Bag Share Project, a local in recycling, but recycling is demand-based; only those group, may accept certain plastics that can be made types of feed bags for reuse, cost-effectively into new and provides instruction on products are collected. Please how to make bags: thebagnote that plastic containers share.org. from food, beverage, soap and
• Foam (aka StyrofoamÔ) items (cups, egg cartons, food containers/trays, & packing material)
EARTH DAY
• Tubes (e.g. toothpaste, cosmetics, hair products)
• Molded plastic packaging (the stiff type that requires a sharp object to open)
Containers from food, beverages, soap and personal products
The following items are welcome in your household recycling bin: plastic containers from food, beverage, soap or personal care products in the form of bottles, jars, jugs, and tubs. Plastic bottle caps & plastic tub lids are recyclable, if attached to the container (not loose). Bottle pumps should go in the trash. Please note that black plastics are not accepted because they can’t be sorted with optical sorting technology. Plastic items that are smaller than a credit card or larger than 2.5 gallons are not acceptable because they cannot be sorted effectively. Other items on the recycling “yes” list are clear plastic cups, clear plastic clamshells, and clear plastic egg cartons. Rinse cups and put lids and straws SEE WHAT, PAGE S13
Working Together for a Better Tomorrow
Special thanks to all of the customers and communities we serve who have contributed to these efforts to make every day Earth Day.
• Binders, folders & plastic-coated (usually shiny) paper • CDs, DVDs and cases, video & audio tapes • Plant pots & garden trays
casella.com/sustainability
• Six-pack rings (cut them up & then put in trash) • Plexiglass • PVC products (pipes, siding, etc.) • Manufactured plastic wood (decking material)
personal care products are the ONLY type of plastic suitable for your household recycling bin. All other forms of plastic must go to a separate, special collection or into the trash. See “Keep These Plastics out of the Recycling Bin” for additional details.
DID YOU KNOW? Casella operations successfully reduced, reused, or recycled more than 1 million tons of solid waste materials last year. Over the next decade it is our goal to double that amount.
• Plastic containers which once held toxic substances (e.g. motor oil)
3166015-01
PELLET STOVE FUEL BAGS
Keep These Plastics Out of Your Recycling Bin!
FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022 | S11
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Textile Bans By CORI URBAN
Massachusetts and Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters and While textiles have been Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Connecticut. recycled for some time, beginning in November, they Hartsprings Foundation officially will be banned from accepts items that have been trash, and consumers will “gently used” and are in have to weave them into their good/reusable condition. These include all cloth items, recycling routine. “This is a welcome change clothing, bedding and draperies — no bed pillows. since textiles account for Last year East Longmeadow 8 percent of landfills, and collected 36,072 pounds of around 85 percent of textiles textiles. manufactured are thrown away,” said Elizabeth M. Approximately 230,000 tons of textiles get thrown Bone, recycling coordinator for the Town of East Longaway each year in Massachusetts. “Many people assume meadow. “The ban will be enforced by our waste hauler, that you cannot donate ripped and our staff will periodically or dirty textiles, however you can,” Bone said; they are sepcheck for violations.” The textile ban will affect all arated and turned into rags or insulation. residents and businesses in Massachusetts. Ninety-five percent of East Longmeadow has textiles can be recycled or reused, including clothing, collected textiles for many years and began using Simple shoes, belts, undergarments, curtains, sheets, pillows, towRecycling in 2018. “Because of some changes in their els, rags, table linens, stuffed program, we will be switching animals, backpacks, bags, purses and hats. to a Big Brothers Big Sisters collection bin and promotAny of the textiles can be dropped off in East Longing Hartsprings for curbside collection starting April 19,” meadow at the Big Brothers Big Sisters drop box at 150 Bone explained. The Hartsprings Foundation Somers Road behind the fire Inc. is a non-profit organizastation. There is no fee for recycling tion dedicated to supporting and raising funds for Big textiles. The textiles are brought to a Brothers Big Sisters agencies in Western and Central warehouse where employees SPECIAL TO THE REPUBLICAN
sort the clothing into piles, and reusable textiles are sold through a partnership with thrift stores. The items that cannot be worn or reused will be recycled into rags, insulation or shoes. Beginning April 19, East Longmeadow will begin being paid for textiles with its new Big Brothers Big Sisters dropoff bin: .07 cents for each
“Once in landfills, natural fiber textiles such as cotton can take a few weeks to a few years to break down. They may release methane and CO2 gas into the atmosphere,” Bone said. “Additionally, synthetic textiles are designed not to break down so in the landfill, they may release toxic substances into groundwater and surrounding
Approximately 230,000 tons of textiles get thrown away each year in Massachusetts. pound of textiles. The town did not collect any revenue last year from its textile drop-off bin. Last year Hartsprings collected 3,285,234 pounds of textiles from its residential pickup program and 4,988,390 pounds of textiles donated at its partner’s stores, Savers. Most of this was not recycled but reused through sales by Savers. The items are sold to Savers for resale in its stores. Hartsprings provided its Big Brothers Big Sisters partners with $259,142.61 in 2021. For the past three years the total is $679,355.61.
soil.” She said enacting the textile waste ban will be beneficial to the commonwealth: “We need to inform residents that almost all textiles can be recycled whether it’s a ripped shirt or worn-out sneakers. Keeping these out of the landfill will decrease our carbon footprint and reduce our consumption of energy and water.” Hartsprings keeps 7 million pounds of textiles from hitting landfills each year. “Resalable textiles are put into the market at prices far below that of new, allowing people to find a great deal and stretch their
wardrobe budget,” said David T. Parkinson, operations manager for the Hartsprings Foundation based in West Springfield. “For our donors, they are able to clean out their closets, attics, basements, and drawers of items they no longer want or need. We make it simple for them to donate, no need to bag the items up and drive them around looking for a donation container, they just schedule a donation pickup from our website or by calling us.” Textile manufacturing is a lead contributor to pollution and the second-largest consumer of water worldwide. “The fashion industry contributes to about 10 percent of all global carbon emissions,” Parkinson said. “Donating your unwanted textiles allows the lifespan of the item to grow, keeps it out of landfills — polluting the environment and taking up resources and space — and reduces the need for the fashion industry to overproduce and pollute more water.” Textile donations can be scheduled at hartsprings. org, through call center at 413-732-7111 and through email at donations@ hartsprings.org.
FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022 | S13
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What CONTINUED FROM PAGE S11
in the trash. If a clear cup is labeled compostable, do not put it in a recycling bin. Visit springfieldmrf.org for details and graphics about household container recycling.
Bags & wrap (Do NOT place in
household recycling bin) Plastic bags, plastic films, and plastic wrap create safety hazards, machinery malfunctions, and environmental problems at recycling facilities. Some of these materials are accepted in retail and grocery store collection programs (e.g. Big Y, Stop & Shop, Target, Walmart, Lowe’s, Staples). In general, clean and dry plastic bags and wraps are recyclable if they are: 1) clear or translucent; 2) moderately stretchy; 3) marked #2 or #4; and 4) empty and free of food residue. Two important exceptions are household food or “cling” wrap, which must be placed in the trash, and bags labeled “Compostable,” which can be placed in commercial or municipal composting or trash. See this guide’s table, “Plastic Bag Recycling” or visit plasticfilmrecycling.org for additional details.
Bulky, rigid plastic objects
(Do NOT place in household recycling bin) Many rigid plastic items are reusable until broken or damaged; offer them for free on an online sharing group (e.g. Freecycle.org or a “Buy Nothing” Facebook group). Some communities offer specialized bulky rigid plastic (BRP) collection programs. Ask your community representative (see the Community Recycling Information table in this guide) about opportunities near you. BRP collections are highly selective and accept only clean, molded, rigid plastic pails, bins, crates, baskets, totes, barrels, wheeled trash toters (metal and wheels removed), and plastic lawn furniture.
Foam
(Do NOT place in household recycling bin) The recycling market for rigid foam material (aka Styrofoam™
Palmer (413- 328-3187, goldcircuit.io; recycleyourfoam. com) accepts various types of foam from the public for a fee. The transfer stations in Cummington, Plainfield, Westhampton and Williamsburg accept clean, white, packing block EPS from their permit holders.
or expanded polystyrene) is growing, but only a few varieties are accepted for special recycling programs. Rigid foam products may be divided into the general categories of shipping peanuts, large chunks, and food-related serve ware (cups, plates, trays):
PROPANE TANKS
Larger varieties of propane tanks can be refilled, and many businesses that sell propane will accept tanks for reuse under specific conditions. Tanks are recyclable in special programs at transfer stations or recycling centers. Do not put tanks in scrap metal dump• Foam shipping peanuts: sters, in household recycling, • Foam cups, plates, and Although difficult to recycle, or trash. Do not puncture. trays: even if they have a foam peanuts are highly Close the valves on barbeque recycling symbol, food-rereusable. Some local retail grill size tanks. Some recyclers lated Styrofoam™ materials shipping outlets accept are not currently accepted at also accept small camping clean & dry peanuts (call any recycling facilities. Place type tanks. Local municipal first; search for a store near recycling info is found in the in trash. you at theupsstore.com). Or Community Recycling Inforoffer them for local reuse via mation table in this guide; find an online sharing group such PLASTIC POUCHES more options at earth911.com as Freecycle.org or a “Buy Flexible plastic pouches that Pyrex™, ceramic and porcelain Nothing” Facebook group. contained applesauce, fruit, The Amherst Transfer Stakids drinks, yogurt, baby food, products tion operates a free shipping and health/beauty products, Offer for reuse. Do not recycle; peanut exchange for permit are NOT recyclable in mudispose as trash. Colorful holders. nicipal recycling programs. • Large, rigid foam blocks and Terracycle has several different ceramic/porcelain items (even broken ones) are sometimes sheets: clean and dry pieces mail-in recycling programs used by local arts centers or for pouches and caps; go of dense foam (#4, #6) are craftspeople, so a phone call to: terracycle.com and type only recyclable through a or a post to an online sharing “pouches” in the search bar. special, separate collection. Please remove all residual food group (e.g. Freecycle.org or a Some communities collect local “Buy Nothing” Facebook this foam at municipal trans- and liquid. group) may help extend their fer stations or at special colusefulness. lection events and transport PRESSURE-TREATED LUMBER it to a foam recycling facility. (see “Building & Remodeling Gold Circuit E-Cycling in Materials”)
SCRAP METAL
Many metal items (like bicycles or BBQ grills) can be repaired, sold or donated to extend their useful life. Because of the usefulness and value of metal, state regulations prohibit throwing aluminum, steel, iron, lead, stainless steel, copper, brass, or bronze scrap in the trash. Some metal items require special handling due to toxic or pressurized materials and should not be put directly into scrap metal dumpsters: lead acid batteries, propane tanks, helium tanks, ballasts, air conditioners and refrigerators, and automotive parts. Many municipal transfer stations and recycling centers have scrap metal dumpsters for the recycling of scrap metal; see the Community Recycling Information table in this guide. Some scrap metal dealers will pay for metal items. Search online under “metal recycling” for the scrap yard nearest you and its requirements. Suitable scrap items should be mostly metal by weight; if possible, plastic parts should be removed. SEE WHAT, PAGE S14
PLASTIC BAG RECYCLING IN RETAIL STORES ONLY:
Never place plastic bags of any kind in your home recycling bin! Please clip and hang this sign over your plastic bag recycling collection at home, in the office, at school, or at a business.
YES - DO RECYCLE in stores:
• Bags MUST be empty, clean and dry without receipts, coins, or trash. • Clean, dry plastic bags labeled #2 or #4: “HDPE,” “PE-HD” OR
, “LDPE,” “LLDPE”
Including: • Grocery & produce bags • Newspaper bags • Dry cleaning bags (no receipts/staples) • Plastic cereal bags (if it tears like paper do not include) • Sandwich/Ziploc bags and bread bags: no crumbs, oils, food (remove large zippers) • Retail bags (#2 or #4) with string/hard plastic handles removed
NO - DO NOT RECYCLE in stores:
• NO bags with food or moisture • NO garbage bags • NO food or cling wrap (Saran) • NO pet food, animal feed, bird seed bags • NO coffee bags • NO crinkly grape bags, Lego bags, apple bags (often marked #5) • NO prepackaged food bags (frozen food or prewashed salad) • NO chip bags, granola bar/candy wrappers • NO bags with paint or glue • NO compostable plastic bags • NO Tyvek™ envelopes • NO bag with a recycling symbol or # other than those described in the “yes” column • NO soil or sand bags
• Plastic outer wrap from packages of toilet paper, paper napkins, paper towels, diapers, sanitary products
What about pellet stove fuel bags?
• Bubble wrap, air pillows, plastic shipping envelopes (deflate air pillows/cut out labels)
Clip and hang this sign over your plastic bag recycling collection at home, in the office, at school, or at a business. For more about plastic bag recycling, and to see pictures of acceptable items, see: plasticfilmrecycling.org
• Case wrap from cases of water, canned pet food, soda, etc. • Stretch wrap from furniture or electronics
See “Pellet Bags” in this guide.
S14 | FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022
SPECIAL EVENTS EARTH DAY SPECIAL EVENT APRIL 24 The Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Association is hosting an Earth Day Special Event on Sunday, April 24, at 2:00PM. “Healthy Soil” will help give attendees a better understanding of garden soil and more. The featured speaker will be Anne Willard, a graduate of the UCONN Neag School of Education with a degree in plant science and animal science. She also has a M.S. in Science Education. The event will be held at The Carriage House at the Barney Estate, Forest Park, Springfield and is free of charge.
Space is limited so to reserve a place please register online at wmmga. org or by calling 413-5963686. Masks are required. Soil testing will also be available for a $2. donation. See WMMGA.org for info. Arrive 10 minutes early if you wish to submit a soil sample for testing. (Attendees are asked to use the Rt. 5/ Longmeadow gate for entrance to the Carriage House. Park entrance on left after Whispering Giant Totem.)
KEEP SPRINGFIELD BEAUTIFUL ANNUAL CITY-WIDE CLEAN UP APRIL 30 The 2022 Clean-Up will be hosted in various locations across the city. Keep Springfield Beautiful will partner with Neighborhood Councils and Civic Associations across Springfield to identify areas in need of cleaning up as the Spring season begins.
Organizations interested in joining the clean up should contact KSB President Melvin Edwards at (413) 348-8036 or melvinspeaks@msn.com.
THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM
What
at a recycling/transfer station, TROPHIES see the Community Recycling Contact your local trophy Information table in this guide. shop to see if they can reuse CONTINUED FROM PAGE S13 your old trophies. A WisconCarbon monoxide detectors sin-based trophy organization SHOES are not considered hazardous offers a fee based, mail-in Clean, gently used shoes are and can be safely disposed reuse program; go to awardsusually accepted for reuse and of in the trash after removing mall.com and search for resale by organizations that (and recycling) all non-alkaline “recycling.” A Massachusetts collect clothing donations. batteries. company accepts only metal In addition, several organisports or academic medals/ zations, such as One World SPORTS EQUIPMENT medallions for recycling; see Running (oneworldrunning. Sporting equipment exsportsmedalrecycling.com. com), specialize in shoe reuse. change/donation options are Rerun Shoes accepts used found locally via charitable TYVEKTM ENVELOPES running shoes at a Pioneer organizations such as schools, Tyvek™ envelopes (large, white Valley drop spot, and can Scout troops, or the Lion’s envelopes that won’t rip, often coordinate shoe drive fundClub. Consider sharing via from express shipments) are raisers, visit rerunshoes.com online groups (e.g. Freecycle. not accepted in municipal/ or call (413) 230-3032. DSW org or a Buy Nothing Facehousehold recycling, or in the Warehouse shoe stores host book group). plastic bag recycling programs Soles4souls donation boxes: at grocery stores. Tyvek™ soles4souls.org. STYROFOAM envelopes can be stuffed into a (see “Plastics: Foam”) box or a Tyvek™ envelope and SHREDDED PAPER mailed to a recycler who can Shredded paper is no longer TELEVISIONS handle them. For quantities less accepted in household/mu(see “Electronics”) than 25, mail to: CFS Recynicipal recycling programs. To cling, 337 A Industrial Drive, have confidential documents TENNIS BALLS Petersburg, VA 23803. For shredded and recycled, bring Check with your local animal quantities larger than 25, call them to area businesses (e.g. shelter or elementary school 1-800-44-TYVEK. copy shops, office supply, and to see if they accept tennis shipping stores). Local banks ball donations (schools use VASES often sponsor free shredding them to reduce the noise and Glass vases are not recyclable. events in the spring and fall. impact of chairs/desks on Donate to a local garden club, The material that is shredded floors). A mail-in recycling swap shop, or local florist(s) in these programs is delivered program is available at tennis- for reuse (call first). directly to paper mills, which ballrecycling.com. avoids the scattering and VEGETABLE OIL contamination that ensues (see “Cooking Oil”) TEXTILES at a household recycling (see “Clothing & Textiles”) facility. Otherwise, dispose VEHICLES of shredded paper as trash. Old vehicles, even inoperable THERMOMETERS & Paper shreds that are free of ones, are valued for spare THERMOSTATS plastic and receipts can go in (see “Mercury & Mercury-con- parts and metal. Consider municipal compost programs, taining Products”) donating them to a charitable where allowed. organization (might be tax deductible). Contact your faTOOTHPASTE TUBES, SMOKE & CARBON MON- TOOTHBRUSHES vorite charity or search online OXIDE DETECTORS These items are not accepted for “auto (or vehicle/truck/ Remove all non-alkaline in household/municipal recy- motorcycle/boat) donation.” batteries and dispose of them Alternatively, search the Intercling. Terracycle runs mail-in appropriately (see “Batteries”). net under “Auto Wreckers & recycling programs for oral Most household smoke detecSalvage.” care items (terracycle.com). tors contain a small amount of Preserve® brand toothbrushes a radioactive element, American be mailed for recycling cium-241. The quantity in each (preserve.eco). unit is considered harmless, but its presence is worrisome enough that retailer and manufacturer take-back programs exist. Google the manufacturer’s name with “smoke detector recycling” for program and shipping details. Curie Environmental Services offers a fee-based, mail-in smoke alarm recycling program, see curieservices.com. Some communities allow smoke detectors to be thrown away in the bulky waste container
WOOD
(see “Building & Remodeling Materials”)
X-RAY FILM
There are no special disposal requirements, but x-rays do contain a small amount of silver. Many hospital radiology departments will accept them for recycling.
YARD WASTE
(Leaves, grass, brush, Christmas trees) Throwing away leaf & yard waste as trash is prohibited by State regulations. Some communities collect yard waste seasonally for wood chip production or composting; for local contact information, see the Community Recycling Information table in this guide. Goat farmers often accept bare Christmas trees as food. Visit mass.gov/ composting-organics to learn about composting yard waste in your backyard.
YOGA MATS
Yoga mats are not recyclable but can be repurposed. Search online for “yoga mat reuse,” or offer via an online sharing group (e.g. Freecycle.org or a Buy Nothing Facebook group). Looking for something that is not on this list? Here are two local resources with more information: Springfield MRF’s “What’s Recyclable” page: springfieldmrf.org/whats-recyclable-at-the-mrf MassDEP’s Recycle Smart Recyclopedia: recyclesmartma.org
FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022 | S15
THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM
Recycling’s most
D E T N A W N U
All the items listed here are NOT able to be recycled through your curbside or drop-off recycling collections in Western MA. Below is an explanation of WHY they are not acceptable. Please bear in mind that all materials collected for recycling are sorted and then baled and sent to a vendor to be turned into new materials. It is very important for these vendors that the materials be clean and correctly sorted. If there is NO MARKET for a material, EVEN IF IT APPEARS to be recyclable, then that material cannot be collected. Materials are sorted both by machinery and also by hand. Adding materials which cannot be recycled means those materials will have to be sorted out from the proper recyclables and then THROWN AWAY. This adds both time and expense to the recycling process, so PLEASE DO NOT include any of the following items: Plastic Bags
These cannot be recycled through your recycling program because they wrap around the conveyor belt at the recycling facility, which causes the line to be shut down in order to strip away all the bags. Bags CAN be recycled through your local grocery stores.
Bagged Materials
These cannot be recycled both because they include plastic bags (see above) but also because they would need to be opened by hand to sort materials. There is neither the time nor the personnel to accommodate this. Bagged materials will be THROWN AWAY.
Items that Wrap and Tangle
Includes items such as hoses,
light strings, anything which could wrap around a conveyor belt (think of materials which clog up a lawnmower, for instance). These materials are both non-recyclable and cause the line to be shut down at the recycling facility.
Check with your municipality COLORED for options including compost Plastic cups bin purchase programs. Such as Solo cups are categorized as a # 6 plastic. This is the same category as Hazardous Styrofoam, polystyrene, and Waste Containers expanded polystyrene. There Hazardous chemicals leach is no market for these items, into plastics, rendering the please deposit in trash. Clear plastic unfit for other uses. Syringes Please deposit empty contain- plastic cups are acceptable. These are a bio hazard and ers which have held hazardpose a danger to workers. ous chemicals into the trash. Light bulbs Needles of any kind should be Incandescent light bulbs disposed of properly through Styrofoam have a different type of glass a municipal or other safe from regular bottles and jars, Expanded polystyrene (EPS, SHARPS disposal program. which makes them unrecytrademarked ‘Styrofoam’) is Contact your local municipali- not accepted at local recycling clable, plus they invariably ty for options. break making them a hazard facilities, as its light weight for workers. These should be makes it too costly to ship. Food Waste deposited in the trash. FluHowever, EPS can be shredFood Waste should never be orescent light bulbs contain ded and compressed into left inside of recyclables, nor blocks to be transformed into mercury and should be propplaced in a recycling collecerly recycled. Several large pellets for recycling into piction bin. Think of the icky ture frames and car bumpers. home improvement stores mess and the sorters having accept fluorescent bulbs free Please check the Springfield to handle the waste! Food of charge. Please also check MRF website for Styrofoam waste CAN BE COMPOSTED. with your municipality to see recycling options.
if they collect fluorescent light bulbs.
Pots, pans and scrap metal
These items get caught in the conveyor belts at the recycling facility. Please check your municipality for scrap metal and swap shop options.
Dishes
Ceramics and other materials which make up dishware is not recyclable. Please check with your municipality for swap shop options; otherwise please place in the trash.
Electronics
Electronics contain some hazardous chemicals and sometimes leaded glass. Electronics should be properly recycled; please check with your municipality for electronics recycling options.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON RECYCLING THESE ITEMS PLEASE CHECK THE SPRINGFIELD MATERIALS RECYCLING FACILITY WEBSITE AT WWW.SPRINGFIELDMRF.ORG. For a complete YES & NO list of what can be recycled, visit www.springfieldmrf.org or call the recycling hotline for more detailed information: 888-888-0784 ext. 52293 or 413-784-1100, ext. 52293.
S16 | FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM
Food Waste Bans
By CORI URBAN
urgent than ever,” said Abbey R. Massaro, environmental Effective Nov. 1, the Masspecialist for the Center for EcoTechnology. sachusetts Department of Environmental Protection is The MassDEP 2030 Solid lowering the threshold for the Waste Master Plan estabcommercial organics ban so lished a goal to reduce that it applies to businesses disposal of food and other organic materials by an and institutions generating one-half ton or more food additional 500,000 tons annually by 2030, based on waste per week. a 2018 baseline of 280,000 “The food waste ban expansion is no surprise,” said tons of food waste reduction. Arlene C. Miller, chairman “Lowering the threshold on of the Springfield Materials the commercial organic/food Recycling Facility Advisory waste disposal ban is among Board and retired Massachu- the strategies the MassDEP is setts Department of Environ- utilizing to reach these objectives,” she said. mental Protection Western Mass. municipal assistance The waste ban change will increase material being sent coordinator. “DEP has been talking about this for years. for a beneficial use instead of Removing organic waste from disposal. “This will increase the waste stream makes both the social, economic and envienvironmental and financial ronmental benefits,” Massaro said. When food waste is sent sense.” The organic material can to landfills it does not ‘comcompost and produce energy post’ — the nutrients do not go back to the soil. Food in and/or be used as a rich soil. landfills releases a very harmThis is “a far better use than ful greenhouse gas called taking up space in a landfill methane. and far less expensive,” she This ban will not affect ressaid. “The need to tackle climate idential households but will change and build a just and serve a catalyst for the waste equitable transition to the industry to retrofit equipment low-carbon economy is more to handle organic material. SPECIAL TO THE REPUBLICAN
Hundreds of businesses and institutions have already taken steps to reduce and divert food waste from disposal, relying on a variety of options. In the process, they have been able to reduce their disposal cost and sometimes reduce
available to reduce and divert food waste from disposal. These include: reducing the total volume of food waste generated; donating unused food to people in need through food banks, soup kitchens and shelters; and
tioning choices, discounting items close to expiration at supermarkets, tailoring both the quantity and timing of food deliveries and utilizing proper food storage techniques. Processing organic waste involves either investing in technology to reduce or compost food waste on site or contracting with a hauler to transport food waste to an off-site facility. Individuals and families can assist in this effort by purchasing backyard compost bins either through their municipal program or at type stores. “Backyard composting is easy, fun and creates fabulous soil,” Miller said. “This reduces your household waste by a lot and provides you with soil to enrich your garden or lawn. It is fun, interesting and very inexpensive. The less household trash we produce, the less our purchasing costs as well. processing organic waste. According to the MassDEP’s After food waste prevention, towns have to pay for trash disposal. Home composting Organics Action Plan, Massa- the EPA identifies sending chusetts food waste diversion surplus and wholesome foods makes a difference.” For more information has increased from a baseto feed hungry people as the on how to stay in compliline of 100,000 tons prior to second highest priority. ance with state waste bans implementing the initial food Ways to reduce organic waste ban to 320,000 tons in waste include tracking where for organics, go online to recyclingworksma. 2020, an increase of 220,000 and how food is wasted, tons on an annual basis. reducing the number of menu com/commercial-organThere is a variety of options items, providing flexible por- ics-waste-ban.
When food waste is sent to landfills it does not ‘compost’ — the nutrients do not go back to the soil. Food in landfills releases a very harmful greenhouse gas called methane.
THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022 | S17
HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE
Protect your home and western Massachusetts by properly disposing of old household chemicals and mercury containing items. Residential HHW collection programs will accept a wide range of unwanted household products with Labels that indicate that special handling is required. Never put these products in trash or recycling bins. Contact your town or city DPW or Health Department for disposal options. Empty hazardous waste containers should be put in the trash, not recycling.
COMMON HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE Look for products labeled: CAUSTIC, TOXIC, CORROSIVE, POISON, FLAMMABLE, WARNING, DANGER, CAUTION
FROM YOUR YARD Pesticides Insect sprays Fungicides Flea powder Herbicides Root killers Rodent killers Muriatic acid No-Pest strips Pool chemicals Lighter fluid
FROM YOUR GARAGE Used motor oil Engine degreaser Gas treatments Gasoline Kerosene Solvents Automobile batteries Brake fluid Carburetor cleaner Creosote sealer Asphalt sealer Refrigerants Antifreeze Transmission fluid Radiator flush
FROM YOUR WORKSHOP Aerosol cans Roofing tar Solvents Varnish Sealants Wood strippers Rust inhibitors Paint thinners Degreasers Wood preservatives Wood strippers Stains Lead & oil–based paints (No latex paint) Photo chemicals
FROM YOUR HOME
Oven cleaners Furniture polish Upholstery cleaner Metal polish Mothballs Spot remover Drain cleaners Toilet cleaners Fluorescent light bulbs Mercury thermometers Mercury thermostats Chemistry kits Arts & crafts supplies Button batteries Rechargeable batteries
WHAT NOT TO BRING Fluorescent bulbs, Latex paint, empty containers from hazardous products, asbestos, gas cylinders, radioactive material, explosives (including ammunition & fireworks) * LATEX PAINT is not hazardous. Completely dry, uncovered cans of latex paint may be placed with regular trash. Below is a listing of scheduled residential HHW collection programs in Hampden County for 2022. Pre-registration is always required. Residents of the towns and cities listed below may participate in their own community’s event, usually at no cost. In some cases, arrangements can be made for non-resident and small businesses to participate for a fee. If your community is not listed, call your community representative. 2022 Dates
Municipality
Contact
Phone
April 9, April 30, May 21 Fall Dates TBD
Springfield
Cristina Ferrera
413-736-3111
September 10th
Agawam
413-821-0624
Mondays & Wednesdays 9am-4pm Saturdays 9am-1pm
East Longmeadow, Longmeadow * Check town website for details
April 30
Chicopee
Tracy DeMaio NEDT Westfield (Fees may apply) East Longmeadow residents contact Liz Bone Barry Brouillard
September 10
West Springfield
Tim O’Grady
413-263-3234
Mondays & Wednesdays 9am-4pm Saturdays 9am-1pm
New England Disposal Technologies (open to all, small fees may apply)
NEDT Westfield
866-769-1621
866-769-1621 413-525-5400 x1108
Please note: this schedule is subject to change due to municipal budget constraints and uncertainties.
413-594-3557
Mattress Bans
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
S18 | FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022
If you’ve got an old mattress you want to get rid of, it’s time to wake up and think about recycling it. By CORI URBAN
SPECIAL TO THE REPUBLICAN
Many thrift and second-hand stores don’t take used mattresses, and they can be tough to sell online. Taking them to a landfill can cause a negative impact on the planet; a double mattress can take up as much as 60 cubic feet in a landfill. While textiles, food waste and mattresses have been being recycled for some time, beginning in November, they officially will be banned from trash. The City of Chicopee has been recycling mattresses for about six years. “The only challenge is making sure residents know that mattresses need to be dry and free from mold, bed bugs, etc.,” said Stanley W. Kulig, DPW project advisor for the Chicopee Department of Public Works. “Benefits include the ability
to recycle them into other usable products and paying less for disposal.” Waste bans help municipalities reduce trash and thus save money, and recycling or reusing these materials is better for the environment and economy. Mattresses are recycled into various useful materials: Foam padding becomes underlayment for carpets and for pet beds; steel springs are recycled as scrap metal and reused in household appliances and building materials. Wooden frames can be turned into landscaping mulch or burned as an alternative fuel source; and fabric/fibers are used in industrial oil filters and other textile applications. Currently there are four mattress recycling vendors on state contract, and the recycling is available to any public entity in Massachusetts. Processing costs range from $10-16 per piece, and haul costs range from $175700+/container, depending on distance. For the first three years of mattress recycling in Chicopee, the city had a grant from the Department of Environmental Protection so there was no charge to Chicopee residents. Since
THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM
approximately 600,000 mattresses and box springs annually. “MassDEP works closely with municipalities to make mattress and other recycling programs as convenient and cost effective as possible,” Rainey said. “Many mattress retailers also offer mattress takeback programs, and MassDEP supports the growth of those initiatives.” Municipalities are advised to offer a combination of drop-off and curbside collection to increase participation and to charge a fee to the consumer for disposing of their unwanted mattresses, which are then dismantled and the components recycled. To receive the Sustainable Materials Recovery Program mattress recycling grant, municipalities are required to prohibit mattresses from disposal. “The purpose of this grant condition is to ensure that they are diverting as many mattresses to recycling as possible. Ninety-five municipalities have received the grant since 2016 so, at a minimum, those municipalities currently require mattress diversion,” Rainey noted. “In order to comply with the upcoming waste while also reducing the need disposal ban, it is expected for disposal capacity. This is that more municipalities will particularly important since require mattress recycling.” disposal capacity is limited in Massachusetts and For more information, go throughout the Northeast to mass.gov/service-details/mattress-recycling. U.S.” Massachusetts residents and businesses discard
ment of the grant program.” Based on the data provided by municipalities through the annual Municipal 2019, mattresses are colRecycling and Solid Waste lected at the DPW recycling Survey, 116 municipalities drop-off center and there is reported that they recycled a $20 charge, if delivered by mattresses in 2021. Howevthe resident. If workers pick er, the survey is voluntary up curbside, there is a $30 so that figure is likely an charge. “We pay a vendor underestimate of the municto pick up and recycle the ipalities that offer mattress mattresses we collect,” recycling. Kulig said; the vendor is MassDEP bans materials Raw Materials Recovery of from disposal for several Gardner. reasons. “Waste bans help According to Courtney drive banned materials to reRainey, deputy chief of staff cycling processors and help and director of government support economic developaffairs for the Massachusetts ment and job growth in MasDepartment of Environmen- sachusetts,” Rainey said. tal Protection, the Sustain“Increasing the recycling of able Materials Recovery banned materials captures Program grant for municand saves valuable resources
Massachusetts residents and businesses discard approximately 600,000 mattresses and box springs annually. ipalities to receive direct funding to participate in a mattress recycling program began in 2015-2016: “However, mattress recycling companies had been in operation long before then and were recycling from some businesses and municipalities prior to the establish-
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
Agawam Amherst Belchertown Blandford Chester Chicopee Deerfield Easthampton
DPW 821-0624 DPW 821-0624 DPW 259-3049 DPW 323-0415, Station 323-0416 Transfer Station 848-4279 x401 BOH (413) 354-7781 DPW 594-3557 DPW 594-3557 FCSWMD 772-2438 DPW 529-1410 DPW 529-1410
* * *
*
Knowlton Tran. Sta. Somers Rd
Sat 9am-5pm all yr, Wed Seasonal 9am-5pm
*
*
11 Crescent Street 89 Water Street
Mon-Fri 7 am - 3 pm Tues 1pm - 5pm, Sat 9am - 5pm
*
*
86 Cumberland Road
Call DPW or visit website: www.greenfield-ma.gov for hours Wed 1pm-6pm, Sat 7am - 4pm Tues Noon - 4pm, Sat 8am - 4pm
* * *
* *
*
* * * *
Mon - Fri 7am - 2:30pm (yard waste @ 1 Berkshire St)
*
*
*
*
Wed 10-5, Sat 8-5, Sun 10-5 (Seasonal Saturdays only)
Curbside Drop-Off Curbside Curbside Drop-Off Curbside Drop-Off Drop-Off Drop-Off Drop-Off Curbside Drop-Off
*
*
DPW, 198 Sportsmens Rd.
Wed -Sat 8am - 3pm
*
*
Sandy Lane off Turnpike Rd.
Sat 7am - noon, Wed 7am - 2:30pm Every other Tuesday Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sat 7am-3:45pm Call for hours First Sat of month Wed 10am-4pm & 6pm - 8pm & Sat 8am-4pm
*
*
* *
*
Southampton Southwick
DPW 527-3666 / 529-2352 Drop-Off DPW 569-6772 / 569-0160 Drop-Off
Springfield
Cust. Service 736-3111 DPW 787-7840 Hazardous Waste Depot Town Hall 258-4794 Cust. Service 263-3234 Cust. Service 263-3242 Scale House 363-0090 DPW 572-6226 Health Dept. 572-6210 Town Hall 596-2800 x225
Curbside Drop-Off Drop-Off Drop-Off Curbside Drop-Off Drop-Off Curbside Drop-Off Drop-Off
*
20 North Branch Road Cross Rd. Transfer Station DPW Yard, 63 Canal St.
Recycling Ctre. Pondside Rd.
125 Locust Street 170 Glendale Road DPW, 15 Bridge St Frog Hollow Rd. 10 Industrial Drive Moose Brook Road 22 Industrial Road
Bondi’s Island Landfill 100 B Grochmal Ave. 163 Colebrook Road
Tuesday - Saturday 8am-3pm Closed between 12-1 for lunch Sat & Wed 7am - 5pm Tues 11:30am-7:20pm Wed & Fri 8am -4:20pm, Sat 8am-3:50pm M-F, 7 am - 3:30 pm, select Sat. Select Saturdays Wed 5pm-7pm, Sat 9am-11am, Sun 3pm-5pm
*
Bulky Waste
Tu-F 8am-4:40pm and Sat 8 am-noon Tues, Thurs, Sat 8:30am - 4pm 1st & 3rd Sat 8am-12pm, April-Nov 1st&3rd Sat 8am-12, Oct & May every Sat 8am-12
Huntington Rd. Transfer Station Emery St. Transfer Station
Propane Tanks
161 New Lombard Rd 42 Lee Road 30 Northampton Street End of Oliver St.
Drop-Off Drop-Off Curbside Drop-Off Drop-Off Drop-Off Drop-Off
DPW 583-5625 DPW 583-5625 BOH 267-4107 FCSWMD 772-2438 FCSWMD 772-2438 Town Hall 862-3386 DPW 587-1570 DPW 587-1570 Town Hall - 283-2646 Town Hall 862-6200 DPW 538-5033 DPW 538-5033
Wilbraham
*
Tues - Sat 7:30am - 3:15pm (Thurs: 7:30am - 5:15pm)
Curbside Drop-Off
Westfield
* *
135 Hamilton Street
DPW 567-3400 DPW 567-3400
Tolland West Springfield
* *
Drop-Off
Drop-Off Drop-Off Curbside Drop-Off
Palmer Russell South Hadley
Tues 6-8pm & Sat. 8am-12pm Wed 3 pm-6 pm and Sat 9am-1pm
*
SWS 498-0099 Town Hall 566-2151 x102 DPW 322-5645 DPW 322-5645
Montgomery Northampton
*
Mon-Fri 8:30am - 3:30pm Tues, Thurs, Sat 8am-2pm
Hadley Hampden Holyoke
Monson Montague
*
1000 Suffield St. 740 Belchertown Road
Curbside Drop-Off Curbside Drop-Off Drop-Off Curbside Drop-Off
Ludlow
*
Hours of Operation
Curbside Drop-Off Drop-Off
East Longmeadow BOH 525-5400 ext. 1108 DPW 525-5400 ext. 1200 Granby Town Hall 467-7177 Highway Facility Granville Town Hall 357-8585 Greenfield DPW 772-1528 ext.6106 DPW 772-1528 ext.6106
Longmeadow
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Drop Off Location
Paint
Collection Type
Yard Waste
Contact Info.
Motor Oil
Community
Electronics
This table provides information about municipally funded solid waste collection programs. If an item is not checked for a particular town, call the contact number listed for more information; there may be an alternate disposal option or annual collection for this material. For more information regarding your communities program, call the contact number for your community or visit www.springfieldmrf.org
Scrap Metal
COMMUNITY RECYCLING INFORMATION
Tires
FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022 | S19
Fluorescent Bulbs
THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM
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* DPW Yd. 430 Westfield Street K & W Transfer Station
M-F 7:30am - noon, 12:30 - 3pm M-F 6am - 4:30pm, Sat 7am - 1pm
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Twiss St Transfer Station Transfer Station
Mon-Sat 7 am - 2:45 pm 2720 Boston Rd Wed & Fri 7am - 3pm, Sat 7am - 5pm, Sun noon - 5pm
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Our communities count on us.
We’re from here. Family owned and operated since 1974, we have always cared about the communities we serve— because we live, work, and play here, just like you. Inspired by future generations, we continue to adapt and innovate—embracing new technologies to meet the ever-evolving recycling landscape. Our innovations include building the largest state-of-the-art recycling facility in the country, powering our buildings with solar energy, and fueling our trucks with all-American natural gas.
At Your Service Since 1974
We’re committed to our communities and the planet.
CALL TODAY: (800) 998.2984 | USARECYCLE.COM
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