Tuesday, November 15th marks the 25th annual America Recycles Day, a nationwide initiative dedicated to increasing awareness and showcasing the accomplishments of recycling. Each year on this day, millions of people are encouraged to “Go Green” by reducing waste, increasing recycling, and purchasing recycled products.
Since 1991, the Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority (Authority) has recycled over 1 million tons of material. The Authority continually monitors recycling markets to find long term, secure markets for recyclable material. This allows the Authority to provide recycling opportunities for as many materials as possible in an environmentally beneficial and cost-effective manner.
Be sure to recycle right this America Recycles Day! Here are some tips on how you can do so:
- Also known as the “Plastic Recycling ABCs,” All Bottles, Cups and Containers can be recycled, regardless of what number (1-7) they are. The only exceptions to this rule are Styrofoam cups, motor oil bottles and orange prescription medication bottles, which are all garbage items.
- Plastic film should be recycled at local retailers and should not be placed in your recycling bin. Items like plastic grocery bags, bubble wrap and or wood pellet bags can jam up the machinery at the recycling center, leading to shutdowns so workers can cut these items out of the machines and throw them in the garbage.
- Break down or fold up large cardboard boxes so you can fit more recyclables in your bin!
- Place any shredded paper in a clear plastic bag before putting it in your recycling bin. This is the only exception to the “No Bag” rule! Workers at the recycling center pull these bags off the line and empty them out so the paper can be recycled as it usually would if it was not shredded. Bagging your shredded paper helps ensure that it doesn’t get blown away while it’s being brought to the recycling center.
The Authority would like to thank the residents of our two counties for prioritizing recycling not just on November 15th, but every day of the year. Due to the efforts of our residents, local municipalities, hauling companies and Authority run programs, Oneida & Herkimer Counties have a recycling rate of 51%, significantly higher than the national recycling rate of 32%.
“The Authority works really hard to provide residents with outlets to recycle old or unwanted items that still can have a purpose. Your old and broken toaster still has value to it even if it’s broken – the metal it’s made of can be recovered and be made into something new like a soup can, a stop sign, or even a new toaster!” Recycling Coordinator Eileen Brinck said.
“We are here to help residents do everything they possibly can to reduce the amount of waste they generate and to make more environmentally friendly decisions that everyone can benefit from,” she continued. “All it takes is a little bit of extra thinking and a little bit of extra effort.”
For more information on recycling and other Authority programs, please visit www.ohswa.org or contact Recycling Coordinator Eileen Brinck at (315) 733-1224 ext. 1400 or eileenb@ohswa.org.