Vernon Making Recycling Moves On Illegal Items, New Program

VERNON, CT — The blue recycling bins in Vernon are being decorated with educational literature designed to make the collection system more legal and efficient and to prevent violations from piling up and ultimately dipping into the tax base, officials said this week. It's part a multi-pronged new approach to recycling that will eventually include a way to donate used clothing and household items, officials added.

Flyers started being taped to the collection bins last week and are meant to guide residents on what goes in the blue recycling bins and what goes in the brown trash bins.

Here is a sample:

Vernon Town Administrator Michael Purcaro said the local recycling program is relatively "successful," but added town officials have been getting warnings from the processing company about non-recyclables being placed into the recycling stream. That ultimately increases the fees charged by the processor and reduces the reimbursement offered to the town, he said.

Persistent violations could affect taxes offset by that reimbursement amount, he said.

The most common violations are recyclables placed in plastic supermarket bags — the bags are not recyclable — and greasy pizza boxes, he said. The cardboard soiled by the grease is illegal to recycle, Purcaro said.

In extreme cases, an engine block, an air conditioner motor and building demolition materials have been found in the recycling bins, according to town officials.

Persistent violations could result in warnings, partial collection and even collections ceasing, he said. That would leave residents with the task of heading to the transfer station themselves.

Vernon does offer curbside bulky waste and transfer station drop-off options for complex items. Click here for the Department of Public Works website.

Vernon officials are targeting December for the start of new clothing recycling program. At no start-up cost, Vernon officials have contracted with a company called Simple Recycling, which will collect household items like clothing, pots and pans, toys, sheets and blankets, dishes, silverware and small tools and "repurpose them."

The clothing market can be lucrative. Items in good condition go to second-hand stores. Items that cannot be sold on the U.S. thrift store market go to third world countries as clothing or rags and the stuff in poor condition can be ground up and re-used in the carpeting industry, according to a program outline. The town will get a percentage of the proceeds, Purcaro said.

Simple Recycling will collect items in pink bags supplied to residents, Purcaro said. An formal announcement about the program is forthcoming, he said.

Photo Credit: Chris Dehnel

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