REGION – Spring has arrived, and it’s the perfect time for some cleaning. The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) encourages residents to properly dispose of or recycle unwanted household items.
DEC Commissioner Jason Batchelder urges homeowners “to keep hazardous and recyclable materials out of the trash. Proper disposal not only protects our communities, but also reduces the risks associated with harmful chemicals and potential battery fires.”
Unwanted items like old TVs, leftover fluorescent light bulbs, mercury thermostats, leftover paint, and expired batteries can be taken to free special recycling locations across the state. Visit DEC’s www.vtrecycles.com and click on the orange “Special Recycling” symbol to find a collection location near you.
Special recycling collections save natural resources, reduce carbon emissions and waste, and provide materials that are made into new products, like Local Color paint (www.cswd.net/localcolor), appliances, and batteries.
Responsibly disposing of household hazardous waste (HHW) – including any household, automotive, lawn, or garden products labeled “caution, toxic, danger, hazard, warning, poisonous, reactive, corrosive, or flammable” – is an important step in personal and public safety. Residents can bring HHW to collection events or HHW facilities. Learn about local collections from your waste district or town’s website at www.802recycles.com.
“Store any unwanted or leftover products safely until you can bring them to a special recycling location, or a household hazardous waste collection event or facility in your region,” said Anne Bijur, the DEC materials management section supervisor.
For other spring cleaning questions, visit www.dec.vermont.gov/waste-management/solid/materials-mgmt, which explains how to get rid of items like tires, scrap metal, medications, and more. You can also learn what to do with things locally by exploring your waste district, alliance, or town’s A-Z Guide, an online, searchable list of waste items, and what to do with them.
Learn more at www.vtrecycles.com, or call 802-828-1138. If Mia Roethlein is not available at 802-522-5926 or Mia.Roethlein@Vermont.gov, contact Anne Bijur at 802-522-5783 or Anne.Bijur@Vermont.gov.