Summer Recycling Tips

As the summer season winds down, we often come across unique items that leave us wondering how to recycle or dispose of them properly. Here are some common ones:

1. Sunscreen bottles/tubes: Hard plastic sunscreen bottles can be recycled, but remember to empty them before tossing them in the recycling bin. On the other hand, flexible tubes of sunscreen (similar to toothpaste tubes) are not recyclable due to the multiple layers of different materials. These tubes should be placed in the garbage. Avoid putting squeezable tubes (like those for toothpaste, sunscreen or hair products) in your recycling bin.

2. Pool floats and inflatable pools/plastic pools: These items should be saved for next year and might come in handy for those friends and neighbors who might have kids visiting. If they can’t be reused in any way, they go in the trash, not in your recycling bin.

3. Goggles: If they’re in good condition, consider reusing goggles or donating them. Otherwise, dispose of them in your regular garbage as they aren’t recyclable.

4. Pool chemicals: If you need to dispose of pool chemicals or other hazardous wastes like paints, fertilizers, weed killer or pesticides, take them to the HazWaste facility in New Haven. It’s located at 90 Sargent Dr. and open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon until Oct. 25. If you can wait until spring, there will be a HazWaste collection behind High Plains Community Center on Saturday, April 11.

5. Used charcoal: Ensure charcoal is completely cool and dispose of it in the trash, not in recycling bins.

A few reminders about recycling opportunities at the Orange Transfer Station

For glass jar and bottle recycling, rinse out the containers and bottles and remove the lids and corks before placing them in the glass recycling bin. Thank you to the many people who are contributing to this worthwhile effort to keep glass out of the trash and ensure it can be locally reused to make new products. Please note that only jars and bottles can be recycled. For example, pane glass, light bulbs, mirrors, drinking glasses and candle holders, among other items, are not recycled here.

For plastic bag recycling, make sure you place only empty, clean plastic bags and film into the plastic bag shed. Clean bubble wrap and mailing envelopes are also acceptable, but no black plastic containers, candy wrappers, or mulch, seed or pet food bags. Don’t put non-recyclable items like plastic bags, polystyrene or food waste in your home recycling bin or in the plastics container at the transfer station.

The next scheduled Orange Shredding Day is on Saturday, Oct. 25. Bye-Bye Mattress, Orange Community Women and Buy Nothing Orange will also be on-site. We will hold another electronics collection for a small fee. The Lions Club will be available again to pick up mattresses at the home of any resident who is not able to get them to High Plains Community Center themselves. The cost will be $15 for this service.

By correctly recycling at the transfer station and disposing of common summertime items, each of us can reduce our town’s waste and conserve landfill space, natural resources and energy. Let’s work together to positively impact the environment while enjoying the season to the fullest.