Going Green: Is it recyclable? Ask Bart

July 16, 2010
by Laura Rossi-Ortiz

Bart Carey is New Castle’s Recycling Foreman, a member of the town’s Sustainability Advisory Board, and the “go to” guy in our community for answers to particularly sticky questions regarding recycling solid waste management. If you have a recycling question for Bart, he can be reached at the New Castle Recycling Center at 238-8091.

Answers to a few frequently asked questions

Dear Bart:  I have bags and bags of Styrofoam peanuts.  I’ve run out of ideas for ways to re-use them, but I’m concerned that if I throw them out in the garbage they can harm the environment. What can I do?

Bart:  Most Styrofoam peanuts are manufactured from polystyrene plastic, known as EPS.  EPS is a petroleum byproduct and does not biodegrade easily in typical landfills.  There are estimates that it would take at least 500 years for Styrofoam to biodegrade.  Currently the majority of polystyrene products are not recyclable.

You can bring your Styrofoam peanuts to the Recycling Center at 210 Hunts Lane in Chappaqua, from Wednesday to Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. We will see to it that they are re-used.

Dear Bart:  What can I do with all the plastic bags I accumulate?  Even though I use re-usable bags for my grocery shopping, I still end up with an assortment of plastic bags such as those that newspapers are delivered in.  I also have lots of plastic dry cleaning bags.  Can any of these be placed at the curb?

Bart:  Thin plastic such as dry cleaning bags, newspaper bags, and shopping bags can be placed at the curb with other commingled items.  They should all be placed into one bag to facilitate separation of items at the Material Recovery Facility.

Dear Bart: What happens if garbage ends up in my recycling bag by mistake?  Can I still put it out for recycling?

Bart:  No. Recycling should not be put out with any garbage mixed whatsoever.  If there is garbage in the recycling bins, none of it can be recycled.

Dear Bart: I’m curious, how many pounds of recyclables and garbage are picked up each week?

Bart: Weekly collection averages for 2009 were 133 tons of garbage per week and 45 tons of recycling per week.

Laura Rossi-Ortiz is a member of the Town’s Sustainability Advisory Board.  To learn more about the New Castle’s commitment to reduce its carbon footprint, click HERE.

For the Town of New Castle’s Guide to Recycling, click HERE.

What can I recycle curbside?

Commingled Containers

Do Recycle

  * Plastic – All plastic numbered 1-7
  * Metals – Aluminum and Tin Cans, aluminum foil, empty Aeorosol Cans
  * Glass bottles – food bottles and jars, wine bottles, beer bottles (remove caps)
  * Paint cans may be recycled if paint is dry

Do not Recycle

  * Toys, any plastic without a number
  * Pesticide or solvent containers
  * Lightbulbs, drinking glasses, window panes, Pyrex or ceramics

Paper

Do Recycle

  * Newspaper and magazines – bundled and tied or in a separate paper bag
  * Cardboard – broken down no larger than 4’ x 4’
  * All other paper – any color. No need to remove staples. Separate into paper bag or recycling bin

Do not Recycle

  * Dirty paper plates and cups
  * Waxy paper such as milk cartons or frozen food boxes

What can I bring to the Recycling Center?

Everything you can recycle curbside, plus:

Tires (also accepted at Household Recycling Days)
Batteries (also accepted at Household Recycling Days)
Cell phones (also accepted at Household Recycling Days)
E-Waste - Small fee except on County E-Waste Days.  See link below for details on E-Waste.(Also accepted no charge at Household Cleanup Days)
CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs) – These bulbs are better for the environment
Refrigerators (Refrigerators in addition to washers, dryers, freezers, stoves accepted at Household Cleanup Days)
Gas Grill Canisters
Printer Cartridges
Yard Waste
Scrap metal

Other Items

Do recycle

  * Yard waste – compostable bags, on designated waste days.
  * Holiday trees.

Do not recycle

  * Construction Debris such as bricks, insulation, sheetrock and car parts
  * Household Chemicals – Take to Household Recycling Days (see link below)
  * Flourescent lightbulbs, fire extinguishers, mercury thermometers