Recycling & Solid Waste
What's Recyclable?
Don't Forget to Reuse When Possible!
Paper
All paper and cardboard must be clean and dry. Keep these materials together and separate from recyclable containers. Remember: you do not need to remove staples, tape, or envelope windows prior to recycling your paper.
Massachusetts Recyclable Papers - detailed list (PDF file)
- Junk mail — Remove plastic overwraps, but plastic windows within the envelopes can remain.
- Boxboard — Cereal, shoe, cracker boxes, etc. Remove plastic liners.
- Newspapers/inserts.
- Magazines/catalogs.
- Paper bags.
- White and colored office paper.
- Computer paper.
- Corrugated cardboard — Flatten; remove tape and string.
- Paperbacks & phone books — Remove covers.
- No soda or beer holders/cartons. These are made from previously recycled paper.
- No waxed paper or waxed cardboard.
- No dirty pizza boxes; no egg cartons or gift-wrapping paper. These have food or clay coatings attached which contaminate machinery, or have been previously recycled, making them unmarketable.
Containers
Rinse. Keep these materials together and separate from paper.
- Glass bottles/jars — only clear, green, or brown glass containers, smaller than 2 gallons. Labels, lids, corks, neck rings, etc. are okay.
- Aluminum — tin/steel cans and lids, aluminum foil, aluminum pie pans. Labels are okay.
- Milk & juice cartons (tent top), drink boxes — Remove straws & caps; flatten.
- Plastic bottles, jars, tubs and microwave trays/containers — Remove caps, lids, pumps and wraps. Labels and detergent spouts may be left on. Plastic flower pots, and Styrofoam trays and packing materials, are not currently recyclable in our area.
Tips for Recycling Other Materials...
- Rechargeable (Ni-Cd), lithium, and button batteries (for watches, cameras, hearing aids, etc.) — Most electronics and hardware stores accept used rechargeable and "button" batteries, which contain mercury and other toxic metals and are banned from disposal in the trash stream. We also accept these items at Town Hall during regular business hours and at Bulky Waste Days. Because alkaline batteries (AA through D sizes) are no longer manufactured with mercury, they may be discarded in your regular trash.
- Fluorescent bulbs and mercury-bearing devices — These are banned from the waste stream, just as the batteries described above. These, too, are recyclable at Town Hall during regular hours and at Bulky Waste Days. To prevent breakage and mercury release, please package your bulbs, fever thermometers, and heating thermostats before you turn them in.
- Clothing and Furniture — The Amherst Survival Center accepts reusable clothing, furniture and small appliances in good condition, to assist needy area residents. They partner with us on Bulky Waste Days to divert such items from our waste stream. Call them at 549-3968 ext. 206 to discuss your potential donations.
- Toner and Printer Cartridges — The Shutesbury Special Education Parent's Advisory Council (SpedPac) collects reusable laser toner and various computer printer cartridges, using the redemption funds to stock their reference library. If your cartridges are listed at www.cfktoday.com/prices.html, you can bring them to the elementary school, Town Hall, or Bulky Waste Days to donate them for recycling. Please package them to avoid leakage.
- Books — Donate to libraries. Some book stores buy used books.
- Wire Hangers — Accepted by many dry cleaners in the region. May be accepted in scrap metal locally.
- Plastic Bags — Plastic bags can be recycled at major supermarkets in our area. Minimize plastic bag recycling by using reusable grocery bags!
- Polystyrene "Peanuts" and Styrofoam packaging material — Clean peanuts can be taken to the nearest UPS Store (in Amherst, next to Gold's Gym in Newmarket Center at the corner of University and Amity Streets). There is no local collection of EPS, the molded foam blocks commonly used in packaging electronic components, but you can find a list of mail-in disposal sites at http://www.epspackaging.org/info.html .