RECYCLING IS GETTING BACK TO BASICS
With the slump in the worldwide recycling market, “single stream” recyclables have become increasingly difficult to process and market. One way the town of Huntington can deliver and market better recyclable materials is to return to "dual stream recycling".
Dual stream recycling means collecting:
Alternating the material on recycling days requires less sorting (which decreases the cost of the program) and also improves the quality of paper and corrugated cardboard (which increases revenue).
To download a copy the "Do's and Don'ts" of dual stream recycling click here.
DO NOT PUT PLASTIC BAGS IN YOUR RECYCLING CONTAINER OR USE THEM AS A RECYCLING CONTAINER .
Although plastic bags are recyclable, they are not collected as part of the curbside recycling program (However, all household trash is still required to be put in a plastic bag prior to placement in a trash can or at the curb). Plastic bags must be handled separately if they are to be recycled. Please reuse your bags within your household or return them to your local store for recycling. Recycling placed out in plastic bags will not be picked up (this does not apply to household trash). If your sanitation carter sees any plastic bags containing recyclables or any loose bags among your recyclable items in your container they have been instructed by the Town to leave the whole load behind. In order to reduce litter, maintain aesthetics and not reduce a resident's storage capacity, contaminated recycling left at the curb will be collected with garbage on the resident's next scheduled garbage day.
Residents that put recycling out in a plastic bag add to the cost of the program because the contents have to be manually de-bagged. Loose plastic bags at the material recycling facility wrap around moving parts which requires a complete shutdown of the sorting line to clean. Plastic bags in your curbside recycling will not be recycled. They will be disposed of as a contaminant. You must put recyclables loose in your recycling container and cover with a lid at the curb. If you would like information on how to recycle plastic bags go to this webpage.
An important part of the collection schedule this year is that recycling will not be skipped on a holiday week. This means that you won’t have to hold your recycling for more than one Wednesday.
As we return to a dual stream recycling program, it is time to get Back-to-Basics with our recycling habits. On this page you will find information on what you can and cannot put in your recycling container.
Please do not “WISHCYCLE.” If you have an item that is not on the “acceptable” list of recyclables, please do not put it in and “wish” it gets recycled. Unacceptable items are considered “contaminants” and will get rejected at the sorting facility. Contaminants are not recycled; they are disposed of as garbage which increases the cost charged to the town. All contaminants should be disposed of with your regular household garbage.
So, WHEN IN DOUBT, LEAVE IT OUT of your recycling bin. It all starts at the curb, and with your help we can get back to basics and improve our recycling program.