How to Recycle in Duxbury

Recycling in Duxbury?

Due to changes in the recycling market, it was necessary to eliminate the convenient single stream recycling at the Transfer Station and implement Four Stream Recycling aka: Source Separated Recycling.  Currently, the only item that is segregated is glass which will have it's own container.  Effective November 15, 2017, recycling drop-off will be as follows:

  • Right Side:  Compactors on the right side after entering the main gate will be used for corregated cardboard only.
  • Left Side:    Glass will have it's own disposal container on the left side after entering the main gate.

Two (2) additional compactors will be on the left side:

  • One will be for plastics and metal cans which can be disposed of together.
  • One will be for mixed paper only.  (FYI....gift wrapping paper goes in the regular trash)

The number one rule in recycling?

The container must be cleaned of all contaminants.  If you think about what you use a paper towel for, you can understand what a "contaminant" is.  Food residue, oils, cleaners, and bodily fluids are all considered contaminants.  If you cannot clean it off, you cannot recycle it.  An example would be the plastic tray holding raw chicken.  Many of them have the recycling symbol on the bottom; however, if that tray is not scrubbed clean, the juice from the chicken will have contaminated the tray.  We don't recommend putting it in the recycling bin.  

Which types of plastic can I recycle?

In 2006, Americans drank about 167 bottles of water each but only recycled an average of 38 bottles per person, which equals about 50 billion plastic bottles consumed, with only 23% being recycled.  That leaves 38 billion water bottles in landfills.  Plastic is the most widely used material in the United States cropping up in everything from toys to clothes to food containers.  But not all plastics are created equal.  Plastics are typically classified by a number from #1 to #7, each number representing a different type of resin.

Here is a breakdown of the plastic resin types:

  1. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE).  Product examples are disposable soft drink and water bottles and cough syrup bottles.
  2. High density polyethylene (HDPE).  Product examples are milk jugs, toys, liquid detergent bottles, shampoo bottles.
  3. Polyvinyl chloride (V or PVC). Product examples are meat wrap, cooking oil bottles, plumbing pipes.
  4. Low density polyethylene (LDPE).  Product examples are cling wrap, grocery bags, sandwich bags.
  5. Polypropylene (PP).  Product examples are syrup bottles, yogurt containers, diapers.
  6. Polystyrene (PS).  Product examples are disposable coffee cups, take-out containers, meat trays.
  7. Other (misc.; usually polycarbonate, or PC, but also polylactide, or PLA, plastics made from renewable resources).  Product examples are baby bottles, some reusable water bottles, stain-resistent food storage containers, medical storage containers.