Most Westporters care about the planet. We want to do the right thing.
But we’re busy. And we don’t always know how.
Sustainable Westport has our back.
The non-profit organization — which supports Westport’s goal of becoming net-zero by 2050 by educating and assisting the town, residents and businesses to adopt sustainable practices — knows that recycling is confusing.
knows that recycling is confusing.
There are so many ways to recycle. So many dos and don’ts. And so much stuff to recycle to begin with.
What goes in the single stream blue bins? What must be left out? What can’t be recycled at all?
(Photo/Bob Weingarten)
Sustainable Westport says:
Items that cannot be processed by our local facility often ends up there with good intentions. People are unaware or unsure if an item is accepted, so they throw it in the blue bin hoping it will be recycled. This wishful thinking — called “wishcycling” — significantly contributes to recycling contamination. The most common single-stream recycling contaminants are plastic bags, electric cords, garden hoses, shredded paper, household items and plastic toys.
Many people (particularly those who “wishcycle”) think that attendants at the facility sort through recycling, and remove items that can’t be recycled.
Nope. In Westport, if more than 10% of a recycling pile is deemed unacceptable material, the entire pile is diverted to the incinerator — including everything that can be recycled!
Our contamination rate is about 35%.
Ugh.
Rather than continuing to guess or “wishcycle,” you can:
- Download the “What’s In and What’s Out Westport Recycling Guide” (and print it out).
- Click on the Sustainable Westport website for a list of items that can be recycled separately at the transfer station or elsewhere.
- Visit the RecycleCT Recycling Wizard online or download their app, to search for how to discard common materials.
- Follow @sustainablewestport on Instagram or Facebook for informative (and entertaining) posts.
- Learn more about single-stream recycling by clicking here.
When all else fails, remember: When in Doubt, Leave it Out.
PS: Unfortunately, the recycling symbol is unregulated. Manufacturers can widely and intentionally misrepresent their products (called “greenwashing”) as recyclable, when they are not.
Just because an item has the recycling symbol (with or without a little number inside), it does not mean the item can be recycled,, or that it was created from recycled materials.
All the more reason to educate yourself on how to recycle right.
PPS: Sustainable Westport gives a shout-out to Staples Players.
For their recent hit show “Twelfth Night,” the high school theater group made a conscious decision to transition their concession offerings away from single-use plastic.
They found a BPA-free aluminum water product. Aluminum cans and bottles are created from 68% recycled content and are infinitely recyclable, making them one of the most valuable commodities in the recycling system. .
PPPS: Our transfer station accepts paint, for recycling in Bristol. Westporters recycle 1.9 tons of paint — each month!
PPPPS: With electricity rates up around 40% since last year, an in-home energy audit makes sense. To learn how to make your house more energy efficient, click here. To learn how to switch to less expensive electricity suppliers, click here.
PPPPPS; Considering solar (but overwhelmed by the process)? Click here for 7 steps, from understanding federal and state incentives to permits and installation.
(“06880″is”sustained” by our readers. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
“I let mine accumulate in a cardboard box at home, but don’t really know where they should be go. Someone told me recently that storing them at home could be dangerous, and a fire hazard.”
Start by getting to know the food you waste, and how to make the most of the food you have. Compost leftover food scraps, either at home, by paying a hauler to pick up your scraps, or trying the new, free food scraps recycling drop-off area at the transfer station beginning July 6.
