What You Didn't Know You Can Recycle

Every week Yorktowners pull out their green recycling bins and start filling them with the #1 and #2 plastics and the glass bottles and jars they are throwing out. They bundle up their newspaper and cardboard into a brown paper bag and place everything out by the curb next to the regular garbage can.

But what else could we be recycling, either at curbside or in other ways? Earth Day is coming up on April 22 and now might be a good time to rethink our individual recycling habits.

The first thing to remember is that recycling is here to stay.

"Recycling is not an option. It is the law," said Kim Angliss-Gage, senior office assistant in Yorktown's Environmental Conservation Department. "We are all waste generators, every one of us"

So what recycling opportunities might you be missing?

Many people do not realize that electronics can be recycled, although not through curbside pick-up, said Sarah Garvan, staff assistant for solid waste for Westchester County. "You can recycle electronics; anything with a plug. You have to bring it to a retailer who accepts them for recycling or to a special county Household Materials Recovery Day."

The county schedules Household Material Recovery Days in the Yorktown area on a regular basis, with a schedule posted online.

Unused pharmaceutical products, either prescription or over-the-counter drugs, should be recycled during a Material Recover Day also, she said. This is a better alternative to either putting them into the regular garbage or flushing them down the toilet.

Rechargeable batteries can be brought to a store or any other battery retailer, Garvan said.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs should not be put out with regular waste, but can also be brought to retailers such as Home Depot and Lowes. These light bulbs should not be thrown into the regular trash because they contain a small amount of mercury, she said.

Reuse is another form of recycling, Garvan added. Any used but still useable item can be donated to the Salvation Army or Goodwill, Garvan said. In addition, Westchester County runs a webpage called Treasure Hunt, where residents can list items that they are willing to give away or search for items that they might need.

If you are already used to recycling your plastics, starting on June 1, you won't be limited to just those items marked 1 or 2. Plastic items with any number from 1 to 7 will be recyclable starting then, Garvan said. The numbers are usually on the bottom of the item in a small triangle of arrows.

If you are ever confused as to what can be put in your recycling bin in Yorktown, check out the town's recycling page, said Angliss-Gage. Different towns have different recycling regulations and requirements, so it is best to check.

"We have a page just on recycling for our residents," she said. 

Items placed in the recycling bins in Yorktown are taken to the county's Material Recovery Facility in Yonkers. In 2009, the county recycled 61 percent of all solid waste, up from 46 percent in 2008. Westchester sells many of these materials, generating income that helps keep garbage-handling costs down, said Angliss-Gage, and keeps the county from needing a landfill for its garbage.

One item that cannot go into the recycling bins, or even be used to hold items for recycling, are plastic bags, added Angliss-Gage. They get caught in the recycling machinery, she explained. But these bags can be reused several time or can be returned to stores.

Or if you are into crafts, all those plastic bags can be cut into strips and used to knit, weave, or crochet bags and doormats. Now that is recycling! 

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