Go Green

Recycle and Reuse Tips

  1. Carry canvas or mesh shopping bags and reduce the abundance of plastic. If you do use plastic grocery bags, remember to recycle them through grocery store take-back programs!
  2. Buy beverages in refillable or returnable containers.
  3. Buy goods that are not over-packaged. Some goods can be purchased in bulk quantities.
  4. Choose products in containers that are accepted in our recycling program. See our acceptable material list!
  5. Choose durable household goods rather than disposables. Avoid disposable cups, plates and silverware!
  6. Donate items in good condition to charity, such as furniture and clothing.
  7. Reuse books by sharing them with others or donating them.
  8. Encourage your community group, school district, or business to use recycled paper in their publications. Also, remember to print/copy on both sides of the paper instead of just one side!
  9. Instead of buying bottled water, wash the bottles and refill them.
  10. Remove your name from junk-mail lists by writing to:
    DMA Mail Preference Service
    Direct Marketing Association
    P.O. Box 643
    Carmel, NY 15012-0643
    Give your address and every variation of your name under which you receive mail.
  11. Recycle old cell phones instead of throwing them away! See our list of electronics that we accept for recycling!
  12. Reuse Sunday comics and old road maps for wrapping gifts. You can save money AND save trees!
  13. Reuse large pieces of wrapping paper, bows and ribbons, and gift bags.
  14. Make gift tags by cutting out the pictures from greeting cards.
  15. Reuse paper clips and rubber bands.
  16. Use the blank side of sheets of paper as scrap paper and grocery lists.
  17. Save cardboard backing from note pads for craft projects, or as protection when mailing pictures.
  18. Choose Calibri or Times New Roman fonts instead of Arial in order to help save 30%-40% on toner costs per year. Calibri has the added benefit of being readable on screen in a smaller font (9pt vs. 11pt), thus reducing the need to print email and documents. See below for font/toner comparison:
    • Times New Roman - size 11 - 40.39% savings
    • Calibri - size 11 - 30.44% savings
    • Verdana - size 10 - 9.23% savings
  19. Walk or use a bike instead of driving, or carpool with co-workers.
  20. Use your own reusable bags at the grocery store.
  21. Plan meals around your grocery store’s sale ad.
  22. Unplug and turn off things that are not in use.
  23. Turn the hot-water heater down and take shorter showers.
  24. Put lids on pans, and only boil as much water as you need.
  25. Replace current light bulbs with energy saving light bulbs.
  26. Borrow books at your local library versus buying them.
  27. Donate old cell phones to charity and help them save money.
  28. If you regularly buy bags of compost, do your own composting.
  29. Hang laundry outside to dry as much as possible versus using the dryer.
  30. Use reusable water bottles and coffee mugs versus buying bottled water and coffee in plastic bottles and styrofoam cups.
  31. Plant a small herb garden or vegetable garden.
  32. Use reusable cloths for wiping up.
  33. Deliver these items to the Authority for proper recycling/disposal:
    • Batteries
    • Computers and computer components
    • Fluorescent Light Bulbs
    • Cooking Oil or Kitchen Grease
    • Major appliances
    • License plates
    • Tires
    • Paint*
    • Chemicals (i.e. herbicides, pesticides, cleaning solvents)*

How to Recycle

Learn How To Start Recycling At Home!

We all know it's better to recycle something than to throw it away. It's good for the environment and in some cases, can even help you save money. Here’s how to get started:

  1. Determine how many of the things you use can be recycled. You can view our list of acceptable material to learn which items can be recycled for curbside pickup.
  2. Place all of your recyclables mixed together loosely in your designated recycling container(s), or a durable plastic or metal lidded container of your choice, under 35 gallons, and not more than 50 pounds. Recyclables cannot be placed in plastic bags for collection. No string, trash or green waste should be placed in with your recyclables.
  3. Now, set your recycling bins next to your garbage can(s) for pickup!
  4. Don’t just think of the normal items you can recycle, like paper, plastic, metal and glass. You might be surprised that you can even recycle:
    *Some items are seasonal waste and are only accepted from April through September each year.
    These items cannot be placed in your curbside recycling bin, however residents can deliver them to our Residential Convenience Station at 824 Sewage Plant Road in Utica at no charge.
  5. Download RecycleOne Posters.

Money Saving Tips

Going green can help you and your family cut down on consumption and save money at the same time. Here are some ways you can save money:
Watch Money Saving Reuse Tips Video

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