Bridgewater, Hartland, Norwich, Pomfret, Sharon, Strafford, Thetford, Vershire, West Fairlee & Woodstock
A to Z Guide
Most of the items below should NOT be placed with your regular household recyclables.
“Single stream” recycling may lead to “wish recycling.”
If you are unsure about an item being recyclable, it’s better to throw it in your trash than to contaminate
an entire truckload of legitimate recyclables.
“When in doubt, throw it out!”
“Single stream” recycling may lead to “wish recycling.”
If you are unsure about an item being recyclable, it’s better to throw it in your trash than to contaminate
an entire truckload of legitimate recyclables.
“When in doubt, throw it out!”
TRASH |
FOOD SCRAPS |
RECYCLABLES |
HAZARDOUS WASTE |
|
|
|
Aerosol Containers
If containers have any product in them they are considered hazardous waste and should be taken to a hazardous waste collection. It's important to ask your hauler or drop-off facility if empty containers are accepted in recycling. Usually they are NOT and should be thrown in the trash. Caps are trash. Agricultural Plastic (Bale wrap, sheet plastic mulch, etc.) Ag plastics should be managed as trash. Burning or burying agricultural plastics or other types of farm rubbish is strictly prohibited. Unfortunately, agricultural plastic is difficult to recycle and at this time there are no local recycling outlets. Air Conditioners See Appliances Aluminum cans, pie plates, and foil Donate your deposit beverage cans to a local non-profit or take them to the Hartford Redemption Center. Place your rinsed, clean pans and foil with your household recycling. Make sure the foil is flat or in a ball LARGER than 2". Ammunition Ammunition cannot be brought to a hazardous waste collection. If the ammo is in usable condition, your police department, a gun shop, or a friend may be able to use it. If the ammo is old, wet, or corroded, ask your police department about proper disposal. Animals See “Dead Animals” |
|
Antifreeze/Coolant
Coolant from vehicles (antifreeze) is considered hazardous waste and should be taken to a household hazardous waste collection event. Some local service stations accept antifreeze. Appliances |
|
Air conditioners, clothes dryers, dishwashers, freezers, refrigerators, stoves, washing machines, water heaters are all banned from the landfill.
The COVER Store in White River Junction accepts donations of clean, working, large appliances as space allows. Please call ahead. LISTEN stores accept some small appliances in good working order. Community listservs and Front Porch Forum are other options for passing along usable items. Ask your local transfer station if appliances are accepted. Other options include the Hartford Transfer Station (295-2673) or Evergreen Recycling in Wilder (295-7506). There is a fee for the removal of Freon from refrigerators, freezers, dehumidifiers, and A/C units. |
|
Asbestos - This is a hazardous and potentially dangerous material if mishandled.
Removal of asbestos in any form, friable or non-friable may cause respiratory damage if inhaled. Friable asbestos (soft and fibrous such as pipe insulation) is the most hazardous. Non-friable asbestos (often found in siding and roof shingles and floor tiles of certain vintage) is less likely to break into airborne particles and therefore is less hazardous. If you have asbestos wastes, Google “Asbestos Abatement & Removal,” “Asbestos Consulting & Testing,” or call the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources at 802-241-3800 for further information. Some forms of asbestos, such as tiles and roofing, do not need to be removed by a professional asbestos removal company, but disposal of these materials is very strict. Asbestos tiles, siding and roofing must be removed damp, wrapped securely in plastic and taken directly to a landfill or transfer station which accepts the materials. Automobiles Junk cars can be recycled. Many wrecker services or scrap metal dealers will pick them up, often at no charge. Be sure to confirm that the company will manage the hazardous fluids and battery in an environmentally safe manner. |
Batteries (Household)
ALL batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9v, hearing aid, coin cell, rechargeables) are recyclable in Vermont through Call2Recycle. Please take your batteries to a participating hardware store, your local transfer station, or your town hall (if your town doesn't have a transfer station.) Click here to find drop off locations and to learn how your batteries are recycled. Bulbs Fluorescent bulbs contain mercury and should be disposed of at your local transfer station or a participating hardware store. They should NOT be thrown in the trash. As of January 1, 2024, the sale of fluorescent bulbs will be banned in the state of Vermont, except for specific purposes. LED bulbs do not contain mercury and may be thrown in the trash. GUV hopes that, at some point, these bulbs will also be included in the state recycling program. Cardboard Corrugated (e.g., Amazon boxes) and box board (cereal boxes) are mandated recyclables in Vermont and are banned from the landfill. Catalogs See “Magazines,” or “Junk Mail.” |
|
Cell Phones
Cell phones can be reused or recycled through national programs. Several programs give a percentage of proceeds to charities.
Clean Wood - (No paint, stain, or pressure treated) Ask your local transfer station if they accept clean wood. Offer it to someone else for building or firewood. Christmas Trees Christmas trees make excellent habitat for birds and other wildlife. Leave your tree out to decay naturally over time. Goats love to eat Christmas trees, but get permission from their owner! If your town doesn't provide mulching, encourage them to start. Clothes Dryer See "Appliances" Clothing/Textiles
There are many reuse and recycling options in the Upper Valley. The list below is NOT all-inclusive:
Construction & Demolition Materials (C&D) "Clean" wood is banned from the landfill! Click here for more information on C&D recycling. Reuse:
Recycling:
Disposal: Please sort trash from C&D waste! Contaminated Soil Oil contamination of soil often happens under outdoor storage tanks or from leaky heavy equipment such as skidders. If you have soil that is suspected of, or known to be contaminated with hazardous substances such as oil or lead, contact the Hazardous Waste Division of the VT Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) at (802) 828-1138 for assistance. Drugs (see Pharmaceuticals) Dry Cleaning Bags & Hangers Some dry cleaners will take back bags and hangers for recycling and/or reuse. Metal hangers may also be recycled as scrap metal through your regular recycling outlet. The clear bags are also accepted at local grocery stores which host "Recycle your grocery bags here" bins. Drywall Clean drywall from construction or remodeling projects may be recycled at: Myers Recycling Center 216 Red Can Drive Colchester, VT (802) 655-4312 Egg Cartons Offer them to someone with chickens. They also make great craft supply holders. Recycle "paper" egg cartons with mixed paper or boxboard and PETE#1 plastic cartons with plastic. Save Styrofoam cartons for the next publicized collection event. (See Polystyrene.) Electronics (E-Waste) "Covered*" electronics such as computers, computer "peripherals" (including desktop printers), and TVs are banned from the landfill in Vermont. They are free to recycle at any participating transfer station. Anything else with a cord is "non-covered*" and may require a small fee to recycle. Please do not throw electronics in the trash. Try to donate working electronics to thrift stores or post them on Front Porch Forum or your local listserv. *More information on electronics recycling is available here: Vermont E-Cycles. Explosives They are banned from the landfill. Nitroglycerin leaches out of TNT and other explosives and becomes unstable. Please do not transport or dispose of explosives yourself. Contact the state police. Eye Glasses - Prescription and prescription sunglasses only may be taken to the following locations: Coburn's Store (Lion's Club) - Strafford Dan and Whit's (Lions Club) - Norwich The Hanover and Lebanon Co-ops - (Lions Club) Walmart Vision Center - Claremont White River Family Eye Care - 587 Hartford Avenue, WRJ Fire Extinguishers Some fire extinguishers can be refilled, but many household fire extinguishers sold today are not refillable. If you cannot refill your common "ABC" compressed air, dry powder extinguisher, it should be de-pressurized and dismantled before disposal. Release the product into a trash receptacle then remove the valve by unscrewing from the canister. The metal canister, once de-pressurized and empty, may be recycled as scrap metal. The powder and valve can go in the regular trash. PLEASE NOTE: Very old fire extinguishers (often brass, glass, or copper) may contain extremely hazardous substances. Bring them to a household hazardous waste collection. Fireworks All fireworks are illegal in Vermont, (excluding sparklers and other novelty smoke devices) except for permitted, supervised public fireworks displays. Fireworks are also banned from the landfill. |
|
Food Waste/Food Residuals - banned from the landfill
|
|
Freezer See "Appliances"
Freon (the brand name for all refrigerants) is found in air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and refrigeration units. By law, Freon and other chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) cannot be released to the atmosphere but must be removed with special equipment. The gases destroy the ozone in the atmosphere, leaving the Earth prone to higher levels of solar radiation. Please take your old Freon-containing appliance to the Hartford Transfer Station (802-295-2673) or Evergreen Recycling on "A" Street in Wilder (802-295-7506) where the Freon will be properly removed for a fee. It's best if you call ahead. Be careful not to puncture the tubes of the appliance. Furniture There are many ways to pass on something you may not want, but that maybe useful to someone else, even if it needs repair. Among these are The LISTEN Store, COVER Store, or other thrift stores, yard sales, listservs, Front Porch Forum, and FreeCycle. If the furniture is really beyond use, contact your transfer station or your local hauler. GUV's "big trash" collections in the fall are available to anyone from the GUV District. Gasoline Waste gasoline is hazardous, highly flammable, and banned from the landfill. Please take it to a household hazardous waste collection for proper disposal. DO NOT dump it on the ground where it can get into the water supply. “If you dump it, you drink it.” Glass Glass food and beverage containers may be recycled at your local transfer station or recycling center. Some transfer stations require that the glass be recycled separately. Please rinse out any remaining food. If the lid or cap is less than 2" in diameter, throw it in the trash. Smaller lids/caps fall through the grates at a MRF (Material Recovery Facility.) Labels do not need to be removed. NOTE: In most cases, you cannot recycle light bulbs, window glass, china, crystal, ceramics, mirrors or drinking glasses with food and beverage glass. Even in very small amounts, these items contaminate regular recycled glass. Ask your transfer station operator or trash hauler. Grocery Bags
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) This includes products labeled "Caution, toxic, danger, poisonous, hazard, warning, reactive, corrosive, or flammable." None of these materials are allowed in your household trash. The GUV District holds collection events twice per year, usually in July and September. Check the Homepage for dates and times or call 802-674-4474. Events will also be posted on your town listservs and in the Valley News and Vermont Standard. If you cannot wait for one of the GUV collections, please call the number above for other options. Junk Mail Contact the Direct Marketing Association Mail Preference Service. Request that your name be removed from all mailing lists and that your information not be provided to any other entities.” This needs to be done periodically to keep your name off the lists. Call (212) 768-7277, visit www.dmaconsumers.org, or by mail: Mail Preference Service/Direct Marketing Association PO Box 643 Carmel, NY 10512-0643 You can reduce the number of unwanted catalogs that you receive by going to www.catalogchoice.org as well. Stop credit card offers by requesting that credit bureaus remove your name from the shared list: (888) 567-8688. Lead This is a hazardous and potentially dangerous material if mishandled. Fish and aquatic birds of prey, like loons, are especially vulnerable to lead fishing sinkers, and other sources of lead which are transformed by aquatic microorganisms into methyl mercury, and then accumulated up the food chain. Leaves, Grass Clippings, Branches, and Untreated Wood These materials are not allowed in the landfill. The best management is to let them decompose in a pile on your own property. Shredded leaves are an excellent addition to food scrap compost piles. Alternatively, ask at your local transfer station if these materials are accepted. Light Ballasts Light ballasts are the heavy black boxes found in some fluorescent light bulb fixtures. They can be recycled with scrap metal if they are labeled “No PCBs”. Older ballasts contain capacitors that contain hazardous polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). If a ballast is unmarked, bring it to your local transfer station for proper disposal. Magazines After you read a subscription magazine and before you recycle it, consider passing the magazine on to a friend, an office waiting room, your local library or school. See “Junk Mail.” Medical Waste This should not be disposed of in your household trash. Call our office at 802-674-4474. *See Pharmaceuticals. Mercury-Containing Devices These are banned from the landfill.
Mercury is harmful to human health and the environment. Damage to the nervous system and brain can occur through inhaling mercury vapors or through consumption of contaminated fish or birds. FUN FACT: The process of making felt hats used to include compounds containing mercury. The over-exposure of mercury led to brain deterioration in the hat makers. Hence the expression: "Mad as a hatter." Metal Many of the District towns provide free, ongoing scrap metal collection at their transfer station, except for Freon-containing appliances. See “Freon”. PLEASE NOTE: Large items like junk cars or large farm equipment cannot be added to the normal scrap metal piles. See “Automobiles,” or call 802-674-4474 for more options. Mixed Paper Mixed paper is banned from the landfill and should go with your household recyclables, including white and colored office paper, envelopes, cards, and junk mail. (Paper portions only; no plastic contents.). If you want to reduce your junk mail, see “Junk Mail.” See also "Office Paper." Motor Oil Motor oil is banned from the landfill. Residents may take their used-but-clean motor oil to the locations listed below. If the oil is contaminated with antifreeze, water, or any other material, take it to a household hazardous waste collection. It can ruin an oil burner! Please always call ahead and ask about specific requirements.
Needles To dispose of syringes safely, ask your physician or pharmacy if they will take back used syringes for disposal. If neither your physician nor your pharmacy provides a collection system for you, follow these suggestions:
Newspaper Newspaper can be recycled with your regular recycling program. The rule for inserts is, “if it comes with the newspaper it can go with the newspaper.” Office Paper White office paper is sometimes collected separately from other mixed paper because of its high value in the recycling market. Ask at your recycling program to see if it is separated from or included in the mixed paper category. |
|
Paints and Stains
Pesticides, Herbicides, and Fungicides These materials are banned from the landfill. Please take them to a household hazardous waste collection event. If you are a farm or business, you must register with the solid waste district at least one week prior to the event. Call 802-674-4474. Pharmaceuticals Do NOT pour or flush medications down the drain. Water treatment plants and septic tanks are not designed to remove these chemicals. Many pharmacies and police stations have receptacles for unwanted medicines, available year-round or on advertised Drug Take Back Days. Find participating sites near you or information on mailing unused medication at Vermont Department of Health. Phone Books Phone books may be placed with your regular recycling. Pizza Boxes If there is cheese stuck on the bottom, or big greasy stains, put the box in the trash. If the box is free of food and most grease it may be placed with your other recycling. Cardboard and box board make good sources of carbon (the brown stuff) for backyard composting. Plastics Most local transfer stations and commercial haulers will accept #1, #2, and #5 plastics. All transfer stations and trash haulers must accept #1 (PET) and #2 (HDPE) plastic containers. When in doubt, throw it out! "Wish-cycling" is when you put something in your recycling and hope that it's recyclable. You could be contaminating an entire load of recyclables. It's better to put it in the trash. Caps should be thrown away. Do not recycle motor oil jugs or chemical containers. Some dry cleaners will accept dry cleaning bags for recycling. See "Grocery Bags." #6 "Styrofoam" polystyrene containers of any kind are not recyclable in Vermont, even though they may have a recycling symbol*. Most of these items are now banned in Vermont. *See "Polystyrene". Polystyrene (PS#6) (Also referred to as EPS - Expanded Polystyrene or Styrofoam) Vermont Act 69 (2019) prohibits stores and food service establishments from providing the following single-use containers: foam cups, take-out/to-go containers, plates, trays, and cartons for eggs or other food. These products may not be sold in Vermont. These prohibitions do not apply to meat and fish packaging or food packaged out-of-state or sold out-of-state. Click the following for more info: dec.vermont.gov/sites/dec/files/wmp/SolidWaste/Documents/SUP-Law-Summary-FAQ.pdf
Printer Cartridges See "Toner Cartridges" Propane Tanks Your local transfer station will accept them for a small fee per unit. Extra-large tanks (100+ lb) - Not accepted at any transfer station; contact a propane supply vendor. Prosthetics Penta Medical Recycling collects used prostheses to bring high quality, low cost prosthetic care to amputees all over the world. Visit their website to learn more about their work and how to donate (free shipping). Rags and Oily Rags Rags are generally not accepted at rummage sales nor through textiles recycling. Use them well, see if your mechanic wants them. When too far gone, they can go in regular trash. Oily rags from home workshops or art studios present a fire hazard as well as a air pollution hazard. Keep them in a fire-safe, closed container, then bring them to a hazardous waste collection. Railroad Ties Railroad ties may be disposed of with construction and demolition wastes (see Construction and Demolition Waste). Range See "Appliances" Recyclables Ask your trash hauler or transfer station for their specific guidelines. Sharps See "Syringes" Shoes Tie (or rubber-band) shoes in pairs and take them to a local thrift shops with your used clothing. You may also place them in an Apparel Impact collection box. Click www.apparelimpact.com/nearestbin Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detectors Detectors may be disposed of as trash in Vermont. Please remove the batteries and recycle them at your local transfer station or hardware store. Some smoke detectors may contain a small amount of radioactive material but they are an exempt radioactive product. Many major manufacturers suggest you return the old units to them for recycling and disposal. First Alert, BRK Electronics, and Family Guard brand detectors can be returned by calling ahead to process a return: 1-800-323-9005. Steel Cans Clean and dry - recycle according to your hauler or transfer station's guidelines. Stove See "Appliances" Styrofoam See "Polystyrene" Syringes/Sharps To dispose of syringes safely, ask your physician or pharmacy if they will take back used syringes for disposal. If neither your physician nor your pharmacy provides a collection system for you, follow these suggestions:
TVs may not go in the trash. They can be recycled with the State of Vermont’s electronics recycling program. Call the GUV office at 802.674.4474 or Click here for more information. Textiles Before you pitch your unwanted clothing and bedroom linens, consider having a neighborhood yard sale or a clothing swap party with friends. Click here and scroll to the Reuse Guide page of our "What To Do With..." Guide for an updated list of local thrift and consignment shops. If your clothing is torn or stained, offer them as rags to your local mechanic or place them in an Apparel Impact container. Click here for more information. Thermometers and Thermostats Thermometers with silver liquid, and many older wall thermostats (round or non-digital), contain mercury. These should NOT go in the trash. GUV will take them at a household hazardous waste collection or anytime at our office in Ascutney. We will trade you one free replacement digital fever thermometer per household for your mercury thermometer. You may take mercury thermostats to the Hartford Transfer Station but call ahead (802.295.2673). For more thermostat disposal alternatives, go to the Thermostat Recycling Corporation and type your zip code in the blue box titled "Collection Site Near You." |
Tires
The GUVSWMD usually holds tire collections in the fall. See the Calendar of Events page for a schedule, or scroll to page 6 for a list of locations that accept tires for a fee. Toner Cartridges
NOTE: Your copier/printer technician may take your toner cartridges for recycling or reuse. Be sure to ask. If you have no other option (refilling or recycling), they should be safely disposed of in the trash. Trash/Recyclables Please call your local town clerk's office or GUV (802-674-4474) if you're new to town and want to know your options. Remember that all GUVSWD residents may use the Hartford Recycling Center for trash disposal and recycling. Call GUV for more info. It is illegal to burn trash in the State of Vermont. It is also illegal to bury trash on your own property, or dump or deposit it anywhere other than a legally certified disposal facility. Trees and Brush If you cut trees and brush into small pieces and leave them on the ground, they will decompose while providing habitat for many small creatures. Alternatively, contact your town office or recycling center/transfer station and ask if they will accept brush and wood trimmings. Tyvek DuPont Tyvek is made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). It is not paper so please do not add it to your household recycling or bring it to your recycling center. See "Construction and Demolition (C&D) or put it in the trash. Washing Machine See "Appliances" Wood Ash Wood ash can help in lawn growth when spread in a thin layer and certain shrubs and trees like it as well. It doesn't help your compost pile so best to leave it out. If completely COLD, wood ash may be disposed of as trash. It's a potential fire hazard for trash trucks and the landfill so be sure that the ash is STONE COLD. |
|
Wrapping Paper
Regular, uncoated wrapping paper is recyclable. Remove ribbons and bows before recycling. Better yet, flatten out the paper and reuse it along with ribbons and bows. Best yet, use paper grocery bags, newspaper, dishtowels, tablecloths, or pieces of fabric for wrapping gifts instead of paper. |
