Paint Recycling Darien Recycling Center 04-08-17

What Paints, Paint Products You Can & Can’t Recycle: Saturday Recycling Tip

Download PDF

A few important reminders when dropping off paint and paint products for recycling:

Darienite.com editor’s note:

Paint is not accepted for Darien’s Household Hazardous Waste Day program, on June 3 this year. Here’s when nearby communities are holding Household Hazardous Waste Day programs, starting April 29 in Weston. _____________

— This is an announcement from the Darien Recycling Center on Facebook. Like that page on Facebook and you can get your tips directly, as soon as they come out, and keep informed on other recycling information. Find out more about recycling in Darien here. Other recent recycling tips:

Four Ways to do Single Stream Recycling Better
Old Appliances Like Washers, Dryers & Stoves
Recycle old smoke detectors.

Single Stream Recycling Center 04-01-17

Saturday Recycling Tip: Four Ways To Do Single Stream Recycling Better

Download PDF

Single stream recycling simplifies how recycling is done by allowing paper, cardboard, plastic, metal & glass to be “co-mingled,” or in one bin. A few reminders, however:
1) RECYCLABLES MUST BE LOOSE — never contained in a closed bag;

2) CARDBOARD should be FLATTENED;

3) LARGER PLASTIC ITEMS should be recycled in the “LARGE PLASTIC ITEMS” drop-off;

4) PLASTIC BAGS should be BUNCHED TOGETHER inside another bag – never loose. These simple steps facilitate operations at the sorting facility, and ensure that the materials you’ve made the effort to recycle are actually recycled! _____________

— This is an announcement from the Darien Recycling Center on Facebook. Like that page on Facebook and you can get your tips directly, as soon as they come out, and keep informed on other recycling information. Find out more about recycling in Darien here.

Darien Recycling Center white goods 03-24-17

Saturday Recycling Tip: What To Do With Old Appliances Like Washers, Dryers & Stoves

Download PDF

“White goods” are non-freon appliances, such as washers, dryers, stoves and microwaves, and they can be recycled in the scrap metal area — no fee. A $15 fee is required for refrigeration equipment (freezers, refrigerators, air conditioners and dehumidifiers) for freon recovery. See attendant in scale house! _____________

Like this article? …

Sign up for the Darienite.com newsletter.

Image from Darien Recycling Center on Facebook o3-18-17

Saturday Recycling Tips: What You Can Do with Bags

Download PDF

You can recycle bags, and do that at the Darien Recycling Center, but for many bags there are even better options that the recycling center hopes you’ll choose. Here are two tips about bags from the Darien Recycling Center:

#1 — Avoid disposable bags

Single use plastic & paper bags are recyclable, but let’s face it: a lot of resources go into making, transporting & recycling them. 100 billion (yes — BILLION) plastic bags are consumed annually in the U.S., and many end up littering our landscapes, highways and waterways. A variety of reusable bags are available — most are inexpensive, durable and can be cleaned. Find ones you like and make a habit of using them!

Darien Recycling Center smoke detectors 01-23-17

Now You Can Recycle Smoke Detectors at Darien Recycling Center

Download PDF

Smoke detectors can now be recycled at the Darien Recycling Center! Why recycle them? Most older (ionization) smoke detectors contain a tiny amount of radioactive material, which is sealed inside the device and poses no hazard to users, but should not be thrown in the trash or put in with single stream recycling.  

[Editor’s note: Back on Jan. 24, Darienite.com reported that smoke-detector recycling was coming.

Pens Markers Darien Recycling Center 03-02-17

Saturday Recycling Tip: What To Do With Working Pens, Markers You Don’t Want

Download PDF

“Have a bunch of working markers, pens or pencils hanging around that you no longer need or want?” Here’s what you can do with them:

Darien Recycling Center recommends that you stick them in a ziplock bag and drop them off at the Swap Shop. Now in its seventh year, the Swap Shop is more popular than ever, as evidenced by its overcrowded parking area on a recent Saturday afternoon. Coming this spring: a new, more permanent, structure for the Swap Shop! _______________

— an announcement (and a second announcement) from the Darien Recycling Center on Facebook. Like that page on Facebook and you can get your tips directly, as soon as they come out, and keep informed on other recycling information.

Recycling Center Sign 02-24-17

Saturday Recycling Tip: What Do You Do With Large Plastic Items Too Big for Single Stream?

Download PDF

Plastics that are too large for single stream can be

recycled at this drop-off at the Darien Recycling Center! _______________

— an announcement from the Darien Recycling Center on Facebook. Like that page on Facebook and you can get your tips directly, as soon as they come out, and keep informed on other recycling information. Find out more about recycling in Darien here. Other recent recycling tips:

Recycling used paper towels? On recycling usable and unusable clothing, shoes, linens and accessories like purses and backpacks.

Darien Recycling Single Stream Recycling 02-18-17

Saturday Recycling Tip: What to Do with Used Paper Towels

Download PDF

Paper toweling seems like it should go in single stream (It’s paper, after all!) … 

… but it does not. Paper towels, napkins, tissues and diapers are among the items considered “contaminated” and should go in the trash. For a complete list of items not included in single stream, click here [to the Recyclng Center’s tip sheet for what to recycle and what not to recycle in Darien] and scroll to the top of page 2 [or see below]. _______________

— an announcement from the Darien Recycling Center on Facebook. Like that page on Facebook and you can get your tips directly, as soon as they come out, and keep informed on other recycling information.

USAgain clothing bins recycling 02-11-17

Saturday Recycling Tip For Those Going to the Dump (and Even for Those Who Aren’t)

Download PDF

When the USAgain bins near the Swap Shop and transfer station building fill up, the contents are removed to a truck like this one. Usable or unusable clothing, shoes, linens & accessories (backpacks, purses, hats, gloves, belts, etc.) can be recycled in these bins. Recycling textiles provides two benefits to the town:

1) a reduction in the amount (and cost) of solid waste hauled way;

2) payment of $200/ton for textiles collected. Recycling textiles also saves natural resources and is a source of affordable clothing for people world-wide. _______________

— an announcement from the Darien Recycling Center on Facebook (we’ve changed the punctuation). Like that page on Facebook and you can get your tips directly, as soon as they come out, and keep informed on other recycling information.

Swap Shop building image 8-26-16

Darien Swap Shop at Recycling Center to Get a New Building

Download PDF

IT’S OFFICIAL! The Town of Darien has been awarded a $20,000 grant from the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) to upgrade the Swap Shop. __________

— This announcement from the Darien Recycling Center on Facebook was first reported by Darienite on Aug. 27. We see this old news being reported elsewhere, based on a Friday news release from our state legislators.

Matress recycling Darien Recycling Center 8-26-16

More than 23 Tons of Mattresses Recycled in Darien (at $100 a Ton)

Download PDF

Beginning in July 2015 residents have been able to recycle unwanted mattresses at the Darien Recycling Center rather than toss them in with solid waste.  

A quick recycling tip from the Darien Recycling Center:

As of the end of the fiscal year on June 30th, MORE THAN 23 TONS of mattresses have been collected, saving the town more than $2,300 in disposal costs. Discarded mattresses are deconstructed and their components (steel springs, foam, wood and fabrics/fibers) reused in other products. Recycling mattresses saves natural resources AND tax dollars! — This announcement comes from the Darien Recycling Center pages on Facebook.

Textiles recycling Darien Recycling Center 8-27-16

Recycle Clothing and Textiles, Including Old Backpacks and Shoes

Download PDF

Not sure what to do with those old backpacks, clothes and shoes that the kids have worn out or outgrown? Here’s a quick recycling tip from the Darien Recycling Center:

Last year 26 tons of textiles were collected in the USAGAIN bins at the Darien Recycling Center — look for them next to the Swap Shop and by the transfer station building. — This announcement comes from the Darien Recycling Center pages on Facebook. Like that page on Facebook and you can get your tips directly, as soon as they come out, and keep informed on other recycling information. This isn’t the first recycling tip about textiles from Darien Recycling Center.

With Paint Now Recycled at Dump, Household Hazardous Waste Day Volume, Cost Way Down

Download PDF

Last Saturday’s Household Hazardous Waste Day dropoff event at the Noroton Heights Railroad Station parking lot had much lower participation and volume than in previous years — but apparently that’s because paint is now collected regularly at the town transfer station/recycling center. This year, Darien will only pay $3,832.50 to a contractor that accepts the waste collected on Household Hazardous Waste Day. That compares with $19,750 last year, according to a memorandum from Assistant Darien Public Works Director Darren Oustafine. A total of 269 households (142 of them from Darien, or 48.2 percent) participated in the Household Hazardous Waste Day dropoff. Last year there were 1,001 households participating, and 74.5 percent were from Darien.