North Branford's Recycling Tonnage Falls Slightly in the 2011 Fiscal Year

Did you know Connecticut law requires residents to recycle? According to the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority (CRRA), “Recycling does take a little bit of effort. Instead of stuffing everything into a trash bag, Connecticut law requires residents to sort their newspaper, glass containers and steel and aluminum cans for a separate collection.”

A recent CRRA press release stated that “While recycling has stagnated statewide for several years, the 64 cities and towns that recycle through the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority’s Mid-Connecticut Project just recorded their fifth consecutive yearly increase in tons recycled.

For the fiscal year running from July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011, Mid-Connecticut Project towns delivered 92,114 tons of paper, cardboard, cans, bottles and electronics to CRRA, the highest total since those towns began recycling in 1991.”

North Branford is one of those 64 towns contributing to those impressive numbers in the Mid-Connecticut Project. Though North Branford’s recycling efforts decreased slightly–by 5.78 percent in tonnage and 5.36 in percentage recycling–the town still saved more than $57,000 in disposal fees, which are $69 a ton.

North Branford recycled 828 tons in the 2010-2011 fiscal year, which closed in June, down from the 879 tons in FY 2010, 830 tons in FY 2009 and 879 tons in FY 2008. In FY 2011, recycling by tonnage peaked in December 2010 at 79 tons followed by 78 tons in September 2010 and 77 tons in June 2011. For a full list of numbers, check out the PDF.

Total trash disposed in FY 2011 in North Branford was 7,769 tons, up 12 tons from FY 2010 but down from FY 2009’s 8,197. Trash disposed peaked in June 2011 at 760 tons with the summer months trending toward more trash disposed. There is a full rundown of the stats in the PDF.

To take the guesswork out of what can get tossed into your plastic bin, check here. For more information, you can also call the town’s Trash and Recycling hotline at 203-484-4091 or visit the Trash, Recycling & Hazardous Waste Commission’s site.