HOW TO RECYCLE RIGHT

STEP 1: KNOW THE INS AND OUTS OF YOUR LOCAL GUIDELINES

Counties, cities, towns, and villages across New York have different recycling guidelines, so an item accepted by your local recycling service may not be accepted in other areas of the State. The first step to recycling right is to know before you throw by checking with your local recycling service to learn which common household items are accepted for recycling and which are not accepted. Click Here to find your local recycling guidelines.

STEP 2: PREPARE YOUR RECYCLABLE ITEMS

The second step to recycling right is to properly prepare items before putting them in the recycling bin. All plastic, metal, and glass containers should be RINSED and DRY, and cardboard and paperboard boxes should be EMPTY and FLAT. Properly preparing your recyclables will help to ensure that they get recycled into new products. If you have questions about how to prepare certain items, search the NYS Recyclopedia for detailed instructions, or contact your local recycling coordinator or recycling hauler.

STEP 3: PROTECT YOUR RECYCLABLES FROM BAD WEATHER

The third step to recycling right is to protect your recyclables from bad weather while they are being collected. Protecting your recyclables from bad weather will help to ensure that they are effectively collected, sorted, processed, and recycled into new products. If you self-haul your recyclables to a transfer station or drop-off site, secure and cover the items so that they do not blow out of your vehicle or get wet from rain or snow. If you put your recyclables to the curb, use a recycling bin with a secure lid, which will prevent your recyclables from blowing away on windy days, and it will keep the paper and cardboard items dry.

STEP 4: PURCHASE PRODUCTS MADE FROM RECYCLED MATERIAL

The final step to recycling right is to complete the cycle by connecting the end of the recycling process back to step one. We can all do this by purchasing products made from recycled material whenever possible. When shopping, look for products with the phrase “made from post-consumer recycled content” on them. This means that some or most of that product was created from the materials that we put into our recycling bins. Purchasing products made from recycled items helps to financially support your local recycling system by creating economic demand for recyclable materials.