What can I recycle? Where do they go?
Please pack your car accordingly so that once on site, the removal of items from your car will be much faster for you! Please ask before you throw if you are uncertain.
Cardboard: Cardboard is the heavy corrugated box(s) that items are generally shipped in. Boxboard is the thinner packaging material, such as cereal and cracker boxes. Please place these items in the “cardboard compactor (your first stop past the gatehouse, located to the right of the “tag sale” building). Residents are reminded to remove the contaminants (liners) from cardboard, such as plastic wine box liners, plastic cereal liners or Styrofoam. Note: Please DO NOT place waxed food and beverage containers, such as milk and juice boxes, or stick butter boxes in this unit. Waxed items go directly into single stream. (Although cardboard and boxboard can go into single stream, we prefer to have customers place these items in the compactor as they will take up less space, saving the facility money on transportation among other things.)
Tag sale items: RRDD1 has a continuously running “tag sale” event on site for residents with stickers. Non stickered resident vehicles are permitted on Wednesday night from 4-7 for recycling. While on site, they may shop in the tag sale building. Tag sale items are donated from customers who no longer wish to keep that item in their home, but the product is still viable. In an effort to keep costs down at RRDD1 and recycle more, we offer second hand merchandise for sale. This includes dishes, clothing, furniture, building materials, tools, household appliances, bikes, books, lawn ornaments and lawn mowers, plus so much more. Please see the attendant on duty before leaving items or to purchase items.
Small metal: A small black hopper, located to the left of the “tag sale” building, is labeled “small metal.” Please place small metal items such as small microwaves, metal racks, chairs, etc into this bin. Please see the yard attendant for questions. Please cut off all cords or ask the attendant to do so for you.
Electrical Wire: Located just behind the small metal hopper. This is for electrical cords that are no longer usable, such as bad extension cords, plus plugs from electronics and other electrical appliances.
Wire: Used wire, see attendant.
Styrofoam: #6 EPS Goes in the Styrofoam collection container on the far end of the lower level. Please remove any tape, stickers or labels prior to placing into the bin. Packing peanuts, #4 Flex foam, the rolls of foam and blue construction insulation go in the trash.
Food Scraps: Food waste is placed in the Blue 65 gallon Blue Earth garbage pails near the Red Bear cage near lightbulbs. Please only place biodegradable bags in the pails. Paper bags or loose food scraps are accepted. Tea bags without staples, coffee filters and paper towels are allowed.
Clothing: We are currently not able to recycling clothing. We recommend bringing it to Goodwill or a local thrift store. “Good” clothing is also accepted inside the tag sale building for resale.
Garbage Compactor(s): There are two household garbage compactors on site, just past the “tag sale” building, on your right. These are for SORTED household garbage only. Inspectors are available for your questions. Anyone caught with unsorted trash will be kindly asked to deposit their trash in a container on the hill, for an additional fee. SORTED means no recyclables; including batteries, boxboard or cardboard, magazines, newspapers and inserts, metal, motor oil or antifreeze, office paper, plastics #1- #7 (UNLESS THEY ARE BLACK or contaminated from chemicals), glass food and beverage containers, propane tanks, windows, mattresses / box springs. Please do not place the following items in the garbage compactor: wood longer than three feet, garden hoses, rope, tarps, or lengths of plastic. These items can damage the compactor. These items MUST be delivered to the upper lot.
Aluminum Hopper: An aluminum hopper is located between the two trash compactors. Please deposit all aluminum products in this container, such as beverage cans, pet and other food containers, antennas, clothing racks, etc.
Single Stream Containers: There are FOUR single stream containers on site, with eight openings to select from. While all are the same, we ask you to watch the signage carefully as some units may be full and others removed for transport. Please place the following items in these boxes: magazines, boxboard, newspapers, office paper, plastics #1 -#7 (except BLACK plastic or items that contained chemicals), waxed and plastic milk and juice cartons, glass and metal food or beverage containers. Please be sure to wash (or at lease rinse out) your containers first! Food left in recyclable containers is not acceptable. DO NOT PLACE PLASTIC BAGS IN SINGLE STREAM CONTAINERS! TAKE MERCHANDISE / GROCERY STORE PLASTIC BAGS BACK TO THE STORE FOR PROPER DISPOSAL! Black plastic is not recyclable, place these units in the trash and ask your grocer to stop using black plastic! Please remove all lids from food and beverage containers. Lids are to be placed in garbage dumpsters.
Shredded Paper: Place all shredded paper in paper bags that can be sealed / closed and dispose of this with your trash. DO NOT release shredded paper from a plastic bag. Place the plastic bag, with contents, into the garbage container.
FULL “office” boxes of paper: Full cardboard boxes of office paper may be placed in the single stream containers.
Books: Hard and soft cover books may be taken to the tag sale attendant may accept them.
Propane Tank: 1 # camp propane tanks are no longer accepted. RRDD1 no longer accepts propane tanks smaller than 20# or larger than 60# (vendor is no longer in business.) Gently place your 20 pound and under used propane tank in the lean-to appropriately labeled. Larger tanks need to be transported to the construction and demolition / oversized MSW area on top of the hill. See attendant for additional information. NEVER put a propane tank of any size in a dumpster or hopper, this includes the small camp stove tanks! They can and will explode.
Tire Tubes: Place tire tubes in the hopper appropriately labeled. This is next to the propane lean-to.
Batteries: Please place all batteries in their marked containers, located in a lean-to building opposite the trash compactors.
Paint: RRDD1 accepts household oil and latex paint, as well as stains. We do not accept automotive or marine paint! Please see the yard or tag sale attendant before depositing these items.
Light Bulbs: Please see the tag sale attendant for recycling of all light bulbs.
Used Motor Oil: RRDD1 accepts used motor oil. The oil must be “clean” meaning it is not mixed with gasoline or any other chemical. Do NOT mix motor oil and Anti-freeze we cannot accept it. We WILL NOT be accepting gas, diesel, hydraulic, brake, propane, solvents or sludge, etc. Antifreeze and used motor oil must arrive separated otherwise it will not be accepted. No water tainted liquid will be accepted. Limit 5 gallons per day. Household only! No commercial or industrial liquids accepted. Residents will be required to complete a form during each visit, attesting where the oil came from. Samples will also be collected.
Electronics: Small used electronics and small (15″) televisions may be placed in the gaylords (boxes) in the electronics lean-to across from the trash compactor. Larger televisions are to be taken to the upper level and skidded for transportation off premises. Electrical plugs are to be removed and placed in the electrical wire hopper. If you need assistance, ask the yard attendant for help.
Mattress / Box Springs: CT became the first state in the nation to begin the mattress stewardship council, whereas residents drop off these items at local recycling centers at NO CHARGE, unless the item is heavily soiled, heavily damaged (cut / torn / broken or cut parts), wet, contaminated with bugs, etc! “Bad” mattress/ box spring will cost the resident $50, this is the disposal rate charged by our tipping agents. Please see the attendant for proper disposal. IMPORTANT: Futons and sofa beds are NOT included in this program. (There will be a disposal fee for futons and sofa beds.)
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS:
Bulky Waste vs. C&D and Oversized MSW: What does C&D / Oversized MSW mean? While the upper section of RRDD1 was once called “Bulky Waste,” today’s terminology is a better fit with construction and demolition debris and oversized municipal solid waste. Oversized Municipal Solid Waste can be anything larger than “regular” household garbage, such as furniture, rugs, large children’s toys, etc.
Black food containers: If black plastic containers can’t be recycled, then why do food stores use them? Answer: Black plastic is made from low cost CPET (Crystalline Polyethylene Terephthalate), primarily used for “ready” meals, hence, why food stores use them. Optical sorting machines cannot see the black during recycling. In a money driven industry, black plastic has a very low value at end market. Work is being done to someday accept these products for recycling.
Wrapping paper: Can I recycle gift wrapping paper? No, this goes in regular trash because of the coating on it.
Feed bags: Plastic animal feed bags are currently not recyclable.
Scale: What is the purpose of the scale? The purchase of your sticker allows you to dispose of your household garbage and recyclables whenever the facility is open, at no additional charge for most items (see Information tab/ Bulky Waste/ Fee Schedule.) The scale comes into play when utilizing the upper lot, otherwise known as construction and demolition debris and oversized municipal solid waste. Many items deposited in this area have additional fees, unrelated to household garbage. These items may include: unsorted household garbage, sheetrock, wood, fiberglass, furniture, rugs, refrigerants, shingles and tires. There are no additional fees for metal, unless it contains freon, televisions, mattresses, box springs, or leaves. See the fee schedule.
We will continue to add to this list as questions arise, in an effort to educate the residents as well as keep costs down.