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Household Hazardous Picture

Darien Household Hazardous Waste Day Is Saturday — Here’s What to Take

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Your mercury thermometer is among the things to save for Darien’s Household Hazardous Waste Day, which takes place this Saturday, June 4. You can trade in your mercury thermometer for a brand new digital thermometer that day (while supplies last), according to the announcement posted by the Department of Public Works. Here’s a sampling of what else you should be saving for the pickup, which takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the south parking lot of Noroton Heights Railroad Station (normally pretty empty on a weekend anyway):

Toilet bowl and drain cleaners, oven cleaners, rug and upholstery cleaners, furniture, floor and metal polishes, paint strippers, lighter fluid, poisons, insecticides, rubber cement, airplane glue. These are some of the items you can take to the Darien Transfer Station/Darien Recycling Center whenever it’s open — they’ve been collecting more and more things that can be recycled and will not be accepting these at the household hazardous waste drop-off:

Tires, dry cell (flashlight) batteries, motor oil, unbroken fluorescent lights, electronics and rechargable batteries. Paint is another item not being collected this year — it’s another product that can be dropped off at the Darien Transfer Station/Darien Recycling Center.

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Recycling Tips Textiles 4-23-16

How Putting Textiles in the Recycling Bins Saves Darien Money

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A Quick Recycling Tip:

RECYCLING TEXTILES SAVES TAXPAYERS MONEY — two ways:

1) the town is paid $100/ton of textiles collected, and

2) solid waste costs are reduced. Collection bins are located next to the Swap Shop and to the left of the Transfer Station Building. New signage reminds residents which textiles are accepted for recycling. — 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.

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Darien Recycling Center 3-25-16

Don’t Rent Trailers to Drop Something Off at the Dump

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Another Quick Recycling Tip in our series:

ON TRAILERS… Let’s say that you have a load of yard waste that you need to haul to the Recycling Center that exceeds the cargo capacity of your vehicle – can you use a trailer to get it there? The answer is: yes and no! Non-commercial trailers, like the one in this photo, are fine. However, commercial trailers – such as those from a rental company, are not allowed.

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recycling two 3-12-16

Recycling Tip: Only LIGHTLY Soiled Material Should Be Recycled

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Another Quick Recycling Tip in our series:

SINGLE STREAM 101

Single stream allows residents to recycle several types of materials in the same bin: paper, cardboard, plastic, glass & metal. Recyclables must be LOOSE, EMPTY and NO MORE THAN LIGHTLY SOILED. Unfortunately this peanut butter container will most likely be pulled out at the sorting facility and thrown away. To ensure that your recyclables are actually recycled, please take the simple steps outlined above. Thank you!

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recycling 3-12-16

Recycling Tip: Reuse Those Clear Plastic Food Containers

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Another Quick Recycling Tip in our series:

The clear plastic containers that strawberries, salad greens, baked goods and a variety of other items come packaged in are easily recycled with single stream. However, some of them are quite sturdy and are perfect for storing decorations or other things that you don’t want squished. ‪#‎ReduceReuseRecycle‬

— 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.

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Recycling Center pot 3-12-16

Recycling Food Waste: Will Darien Someday Do It? Ridgefield Does

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This interesting post on Facebook from the Darien Recycling Center mentions that Ridgefield recycles food waste and asks if Darien ever will:

Is recycling food waste in Darien’s future? Programs recently began in both Ridgefield and Newtown where residents can take all food scraps to a drop-off — it is then transported to a composting facility in Danbury. More food reaches landfills and incinerators than any other single material in municipal solid waste nationwide! To learn more about Ridgefield’s program, click here [for an online flyer about the town program, or just scroll down — we’ve published it below — editor]

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Here’s more information from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection:

Commercial and residential food scrap recycling pilot projects
Another Web page on composting organic waste

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No Dumping

Recycling Center Warns: Protect LI Sound, Don’t Dump Into Street Sewers

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Another Quick Recycling Tip in our series:

These medallions found on storm drains throughout town are a reminder that anything put down the drain goes directly into Long Island Sound — without first passing through a treatment plant. Hard as it is to believe, these drains have been used for hard-to-dispose of materials such as paint. Thanks to a partnership with PaintCare, the Darien Recycling Center now has a permanent drop-off where residents can recycle paint and paint products anytime. Other unwanted household chemicals should be saved for Darien’s Household Hazardous Waste Day — the first Saturday in June. Let’s save the storm drains for storm water!

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Darien Recycling Center 3-12-16

Recycling Tip: Cleaning Out Your Closets

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Another Quick Recycling Tip in our series:

If the urge to spring clean extends to your closets and drawers, but all you care to part with are worn-out shoes, stained t-shirts and tired linens, not to worry! Those things — and more — can be recycled in the green & white USAGAIN BINS at the Darien Recycling Center. Pack your things in plastic bags and look for them next to the Swap Shop and also next to the transfer station building. Recycle any usable or unusable clothing, shoes, linens or accessories! — This announcement comes from the Darien Recycling Center pages on Facebook.

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Darien Recycling Center photo 3-11-16

Recycling Tip: What To Do With Used Bubble Wrap & Other Packing Materials

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Another Quick Recycling Tip in our series:

Bubble wrap is permitted in single stream recycling; however, it — and most other packing materials — can be reused again and again before it has reached the end of its useful life. If you have no need for these materials, please donate them to someone who does! UPS will take packing peanuts and the DCA Thrift Store will take bubble wrap, packing papers, foam sheets (also tissue paper and shopping bags). Remember: it’s REDUCE, REUSE, RECYLE – and in that order! — This announcement comes from the Darien Recycling Center pages on Facebook.

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Tip for Dropping Off Items at the Swap Shop

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Another Quick Recycling Tip in our series:

PLEASE PLACE ITEMS INSIDE SWAP SHOP

Items that are broken or sitting for too long are removed from the Swap Shop by volunteers and, to the extent that they can be, are placed with scrap metal or e-waste for recycling. However, lots of cardboard also comes out of the Swap Shop. Instead of leaving boxes of unsorted items sitting inside or outside the Swap Shop, residents should place their items in the appropriate areas inside the building. Remember: The Swap Shop is managed by volunteers and its success depends upon everyone doing their part! — This announcement comes from the Darien Recycling Center pages on Facebook.

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Say Hello to LED Bulbs at All Things Green Fair April 24 at Darien Library

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“Join us at the Darien Library for its All Things Green Fair on April 24th, 1 to 5 p.m.,” the Darien Recycling Center says in an announcement on Facebook. Here’s what else they say about it:

SAY GOOD-BYE TO YOUR INCANDESCENT BULBS! They are familiar and inexpensive, but incandescent bulbs have a short life span and are energy hogs. LEDs are energy efficient, can last up to 25 years, but people are less familiar with them and their initial cost is significantly greater. Thanks to a grant awarded to the Town of Darien, residents have the opportunity to swap old incandescent bulbs for up to 5 free LED bulbs!

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Recycling Tip: What to Do with Downed Branches

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Another Quick Recycling Tip in our series:

This year’s winter has been milder than last year’s (so far!), but wet, heavy, snow still takes a toll on trees and other landscaping. Downed branches like these can be recycled at our facility along with other yard waste. Not sure where to take them? Click here. — This announcement comes from the Darien Recycling Center pages on Facebook.

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nonrecyclable

Tip from Darien Recyclng Center: Never Recycle These

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Another Quick Recycling Tip in our series:

PAPER TOWELING, NAPKINS AND FACIAL TISSUES should never go in single stream recycling! Such items are frequently contaminated by dirt, grease, or food — like these oily paper towels — and cannot be recycled. Click here for a complete list of SSR guidelines. — 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.

Darien Reycycling Center
Darien Recycling Center

Open Your Bags of Reyclables When Dropping Them off

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Another Quick Recycling Tip in our series:

Recyclables that arrive at the sorting facility in closed plastic bags are often removed from assembly and thrown in the trash. If you transport your single stream recyclables to the Darien Recycling Center in closed plastic bags, please simply OPEN THE BAGS before dropping them in the hopper! — 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.

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batteries recycling tip

Recycling Tip: What to Do with Household Batteries

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Another Quick Recycling Tip:

A battery is a battery is a battery, right? Wrong. Common household batteries include alkaline, nickel cadmium, lithium ion, nickel metal hydride, small sealed lead acid, silver oxide and zinc-air. Most people don’t know the difference, or what to do with them when they’re used up. In Darien there is no need to: BRING ALL HOUSEHOLD BATTERIES TO THE DARIEN RECYCLING CENTER, where they will be properly disposed of or recycled — look for the blue barrels inside the transfer station building.