Environmental Tip From Chester

CHESTER, CT — Environmental tip: In Chester, our single-stream recycling is a lot easier than the old way of separating different kinds of materials, but it is very important not to put items in the recycling barrels which aren’t recyclable. These items from one person can contaminate a whole load of potentially recycled items and cause the load to be treated as garbage. Items that should not be put in the recycling container are those which can tangle the sorting equipment. These include plastic bags, bubble wrap, and other plastic wrap, garden hoses, strings of holiday lights, twine, and dangerous or toxic materials like motor oil, antifreeze, electronics, and paints. Bulky waste like furniture and rugs do not belong there either. Organic materials like leaves and other yard waste should be composted not thrown in the trash or recycling bins. So let’s pay attention to what we try to recycle and only put items that can be recycled in recycling bins.

This press release was produced by the Chester Conservation Commission. The views expressed here are the author's own.