The recycling process starts when a consumer finishes a product and makes the conscious decision to recycle it. Unfortunately many consumers skip this step, which is why landfills are currently filling to the brim and Waste-To-Energy plants are at capacity. Other consumers, on the other hand, decide to do their part to help the environment by responsibly disposing of their used products. Learning how to recycle right is the first step.
All your household recycling in ONE bin.
Connecticut now has a universal list of what belongs in your recycling bin and what doesn’t. All items should be empty, rinsed, clean and open. Do not shred, box, bag, or bundle material.
Here is a link to “What’s In and What’s Out” for recycling.
ONLY put items in your recycling bin that are listed in the “IN” category. Adding additional items that are not on the list will contaminate the mixed stream. The contaminated items reduce the value of the recyclables or sometimes can make an entire load of recycling become trash. We call this wishful recycling. If you have questions about what is “IN” or why something is “OUT” please email info@hrra.org.
In 2022, with the passage of Public Act 21-58, An Act Concerning Solid Waste Management, Connecticut went through a significant transformation of its beverage container redemption program – also known as the Bottle Bill – since the program was first implemented in 1980.
The most significant changes included 1) an increase in the handling fee paid to retailers and operators of redemption centers; 2) an expansion of the types of beverages covered to include several new item categories – including sports drinks, energy drinks, and juices – beginning on January 1, 2023; and 3) an increase in the deposit amount from $0.05 to $0.10 beginning on January 1, 2024.
NOTE: Bottles may now show “Redemption Value” or the abbreviation “CTRV” on labels to signify that they can be redeemed instead of listing “CT” and “$0.10”
ACCEPTED AND EXPANDED LIST OF BEVERAGE CONTAINERS
More FAQs can be found on CT DEEP’s Bottle Bill webpage.
Tanglers are materials like wires, cords, hoses, hangers, chains, clothing, and rope that are not accepted in the mixed recycling and get caught in the machinery. Please refer to the “What’s In? What’s Out?” guide for acceptable materials.
Alternative drop off locations:
Wires and electronic cords can be placed in the e-waste container.
Metal hangers and metal chains can be placed in scrap metal.
Clothing can be placed in a local textile donation bin. They accept new and used clothing, shoes, towels and more. Learn more here. (link to textile page).
All other tanglers should be placed in the trash.
Batteries of any kind should NEVER go in your household trash or recycling. Please bring them to one of three places:
DROP-OFF AT YOUR TOWN TRANSFER STATIONS
Residents have access to the electronic waste recycling container at their town transfer station.
Alkaline and rechargeable batters can be placed in these containers, along with other electronics, for FREE. Learn more here.
DROP-OFF AT AN ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE EVENT
HRRA facilitates six HHW drop off events for our residents each year. Residents can bring batteries to these events. Learn more here.
DROP-OFF AT A PARTICIPATING RETAILER
Staples (rechargeable and single-use batteries as well as other electronics)
Home Depot (rechargeable batteries only)
Lowes (rechargeable batteries only and cell phones)
Call2Recycle allows you to find other participating retailers in your area.
Plastic Bags and film DO NOT go in your mixed recycling.
Plastic bags and film get tangled in the material recovery facilities equipment and cause operational issues.
Bring these items back to a retailer in your area. Items like bread bags, produce bags, product wrap, dry cleaning bags and more!
Click here to watch video.
Click here for what can be returned to retail.
Material recovery facilities (MRFs) use optical sensors to read the different types of material moving on the black conveyor belts. Black plastic blends in with the conveyor belts and therefore are not seen by the senses or sorted properly. The black plastic items get mixed into other sorted streams and contaminate other materials. Consider reusing black plastic take-out containers for storing items. Consider returning black plastic flowerpots to a garden center or seeing if your local garden club could use them.
Otherwise, please place any black plastic item in the trash.
Campaign signs are a recycling challenge because they’re made from multiple materials, such as paper, plastic and metal. Disposing of them requires taking them apart and disposing of each portion based on its material.
For towns within the HRRA region (Bethel, Bridgewater, Brookfield, Danbury, Kent, New Fairfield, New Milford, Newtown, Redding, Ridgefield, Roxbury, Sherman, Weston and Wilton) Here is your guide.
Here’s what you can do:
1.) Break down the sign by detaching the metal wire stand from the sign itself. The metal wire is made of steel. Steel wire CANNOT be recycled with your curbside recycling but it CAN be taken to your local recycling center and recycled with scrap metal.
2.) If the sign is sturdy, corrugated plastic, that means it cannot be recycled and goes in the trash. WHY? Because for something to be recyclable, it must have someone willing to purchase it and make it into something new. The Material Recovery Facility (MRF) where HRRA recyclables go, does not accept them.
3.) If the sign is a very thin, flexible plastic, that means it’s made from film. This also cannot be recycled curbside, HOWEVER, it CAN be recycled with plastic bags and film at a collection site, either “return to retail” or your local recycling center that collects plastic bags and film.
Before tossing your campaign sign, consider saving it for future use. You could attach a new message to the board and use it to promote a special event. A local school or nonprofit organization may be able to use the sign, too. If you don’t want to save the entire sign, you may be able to reuse the wire stand for future signs.
Plastic single-use cups are OKAY to put in your recycling, but you MUST THROW away your plastic single-use lid and straw. Single-use straws, paper or plastic, and lids fall into the 2” rule – they are too small to be sorted properly and fall through the conveyor belt holes contaminating the glass separation stream.
Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), where our mixed recycling goes to be sorted, bailed and sold, have 2″ holes throughout the system to capture the broken glass.
Items that can fit through a 2″ hole are too small to be sorted properly and fall through the conveyor belt contaminating the glass separation stream.
Small items, even if they are made from plastic, glass, paper or aluminum that fall into the 2” rule they must go in the trash.
Due to the size of shredded paper it cannot be effectively captured in a material recovery facility (MRFs). Shredded paper falls under the 2″ rule, meaning it falls through the conveyor belt holes and contaminates the glass separation stream. Shredded paper should be brought to a local collection site such as your transfer station or place of business for recycling. You can also wait for a local community shredding/collection event to dispose of your shredded paper.
Otherwise, please place shredded paper in the trash.
The following items CAN be recycled but NOT in your curbside bin!
If you have questions regarding these items email HRRA at info@hrra.org
Have you ever wondered about those little numbers inside a triangle of arrows on the bottom of plastic containers? They tell you the kind of plastic used to manufacture the soft drink bottles, laundry detergent packages, milk jugs, and other plastic bottles that you purchase.
There are many ways to reuse or recycle items that are no longer of use to us in our homes. As residents of Connecticut, reusing or recycling these items can reduce the amount and toxicity of the garbage that is disposed in our state. Click here to learn more.
TerraCycle offers free recycling programs funded by brands, manufacturers, and retailers around the world to help you collect and recycle your hard-to-recycle waste. Simply choose the programs you’d like to join; start collecting in your home, school, or office; download free shipping labels; and send us your waste to be recycled. You can even earn rewards for your school or favorite non-profit! Visit them here