Recycling Guide
Single Stream Recycling: West Hartford residents can now participate with single stream recycling collection. All recycling items currently collected can be placed into your blue curb side bin without having to separate them or bag them by like items. However, if you wish to continue to separate by like items and bag your paper you may continue to do so without any impact on your recycling collection.
Starting the week of June 7, 2010, the Town of West Hartford will begin collecting household recycling in 95-gallon automated barrels. Collection vehicles similar to the trucks that collect refuse will now be used to collect recyclables. Beginning late April, 2010 through the first week of June, 2010 each residential dwelling will receive a new blue 95-gallon recycling barrel. Please do not use the barrel until your first scheduled collection.
This change accompanies the expansion of acceptable recyclables collected at the curb. CRRA, the Connecticut Resource Recovery Authority that manages our recycling, has announced the addition of number 3 through 7 plastics into the recycling stream. This addition, along with their recent conversion to single stream recycling, will make recycling the easiest it has ever been for residents. Single stream recycling means no more sorting of recyclables by type; they all go into one barrel and sorted later at CRRA’s Recycling Center.
Collection schedules will be delivered with each barrel. Recyclables will be collected every two weeks on the same day as your refuse collection day.
Weekly Curbside Recycling Collection: The following items are collected at curbside each week. Place items in your blue recycling bin and put at the curb by 6:00 AM on your refuse collection day.
Recycling Bins: Bins may be obtained from the Customer Service Desk in the Town Hall lobby or at Public Works at a cost of $8.00. With the increase of the number of items that are recycled at curbside, the larger 18-gallon bin comes in handy.
The items listed below are dictated by the Connecticut Resource Recovery Authority.
Click here for a LISTING OF RECYCLABLES:
Newspapers, Magazines, Catalogs, Junk Mail, Corrugated Cardboard, Glass, Metal, Plastic Containers, Gabled Milk & Juice Cartons:
Boxboard: All non-corrugated cardboard, commonly used in dry food and cereal boxes, shoe boxes and other similar packaging. Dry food and cereal boxes must have inside bag removed. Boxboard with wax, plastic or foiled coating or boxboard that has been contaminated by food are NOT acceptable. Examples of acceptable boxboard: Cereal, cracker, shoe boxes and shirt boxes, as well as beverage cartons and six-pack cartons. Please flatten boxes, remove the plastic cereal bag and place the boxes in a paper bag or tie them with string. Place in or on the side of the blue recycling bin.
Junk Mail, Shredded Paper, Mixed Paper: Mixed office paper (any color) or junk mail may be recycled at the curb. Junk mail includes all loose or bagged bulk mail received through the mail consisting of paper or cardboard. Examples of junk mail include paper envelopes with windows, flyers, envelopes containing office paper, computer paper, coupons, brochures, magazines, catalogs, stationery and bills. Click here to learn how to recycling your old phone book.
With many citizens rightfully concerned about identity theft, more and more households are shredding mail and other documents containing personal information. Clean shredded paper is now a recyclable item as well. Place shredded paper in a paper bag. Do not place it loosely in the recycling bin.
Unacceptable paper includes any kind of non paper bag such as plastic or TYVEK, overnight delivery envelopes. Also plastic bags or wrapping, bubble wrap, books of any kind, greeting cards, gift wrap and product samples such as shavers, detergents and other such materials.
Corrugated cardboard boxes must be collapsed (no larger than 3 feet x 3 feet) and tied with string only for curbside collection.
Other Recycling Opportunities>
