Town of West Hartford Shares Recycling Standards

From the Town of West Hartford:

WEST HARTFORD, CT – The process of determining whether you should toss certain packaging types into the recycling barrel or the trash barrel has just gotten easier. Over 50 companies including General Mills, Nestle, Ziploc, Minute Maid, Target, and REI, are now using How2Recycle™ labels on all of its packaging material.

The How2Recycle™ label is a voluntary, standardized labeling system that clearly communicates recycling instructions to the public.

The label includes these four parts:

Recycling Symbols

Information and locational instructions let you know if an item can be recycled traditionally or by other means.

Preparing Material for Recycling

Gives steps to properly prepare the item for recycling: rinse, empty, remove, dry, discard or reattach parts

Type of Recyclable Material

Lists the type of material the packaging is made from: paper, plastic, glass, metal, coated paper, multi-layer

Recyclable Parts of Packaging

Indicates the parts of the packaging that needs to be recycled in this specific way. Typical parts include: Bottle, Tray, Insert, Box, Bag, Wrap, Can, Film and Pouch

The Multi-Component Labels

These side-by-side labels let you know how to recycle the whole package, not just a part of it. Each "tile" represents a different part of the package. How2Recycle™ labels are intended to be read left to right, based on which part of the packaging you encounter first. For example, a frozen food entrée would have an outer cardboard box, a film over the food, and a plastic tray containing the food.

Look for How2Recycle™ labels on packaging from these participating businesses:

• McDonald’s
• REI
• Estee Lauder Companies
• Endust
• General Mills
• Clorox
• Minute Maid
• Kellogg’s
• Target
• Ziploc
• Honest Tea
• Georgia Pacific Hasbro
• Shop Rite
• Reynolds
• Nestlé/Purina
• Kimberly Clark
• Kashi Cereal
• Brita Water
• Glad
• Pam
• Nature Valley
• Soapbox Annie’s
• Novolex
• Wegmans Food Markets
• Ecologic
• CCF Brands
• Sealed Air Re-Imagined
• AMPAC
• ConAgra Foods
• Plum Organics
• Sigma Plastics Group
• Seventh Generation
• PAC Worldwide

To learn more about How2Recycle™ labels, click here.

West Hartford Recycles Waste Wizard

Have you ever wondered whether you should recycle or toss a particular item? Now, answers are easily accessible from your mobile device.

The West Hartford Recycles A-Z Waste Wizard will tell you how to recycle, reuse and properly dispose of hundreds of items.

How it Works

1. Search for the item by name.

2. Search results provide options for reusing and recycling of the item.

3. Drop-off locations are provided. Click on the location name and the address and phone number will be revealed.

Get the free the West Hartford Recycles Waste Wizard App for your smart phone or tablet. Go to Google play or the Apple App Store.

Image via Shutterstock.