Top 10 Recycling Tips - Curbside and Otherwise

1. “If it rips, recycle it!”

2. Windows envelopes, spiral notebooks, staples and paper clips are OK.

3. All paper shredding, dry food boxes, tissue rolls can be recycled. Corrugated cardboard must be recycled.

4. Recycle plastics with a #1-7 - but please, no plastic bags, Styrofoam or meat/fruit trays, or hazardous material containers.

5. Recycle aluminum foil and containers, food cans, cookie tins, glass bottles and jars. Foil should be clean and containers rinsed out.

6. Plastic bag recycling stations at grocery stores accept a wide range of plastic bags and packaging, including: bread, grocery and produce bags, newspaper sleeves, case wrap (water bottles etc.), zip lock bags with the hard part removed, and dry cleaning bags.

7. Coming soon! Drop-off dumpster for large hard plastics such as children’s play slides and other plastic play equipment, trash barrels, etc. Stay tuned.

8. Include old, worn, torn clothing and other textiles with charitable donations. These materials are recycled into rug padding, insulation materials and re-spun into new fibers.

9. Bring items containing mercury, such as switches, thermometers, thermostats, rechargeable and button batteries, to the Swampscott Health Department for proper disposal.

10. Re-purpose an unused barrel for can/plastic/glass recyclables, clearly mark it “recycle” and keep the weight under 50 pounds. 

For more information: contact swampscottrecycles@gmail.com