November 14, 2025| Community, Environment
By: Holly Odgers and Anna Smith
What do toothbrushes, contact lenses, and crayons have in common? They can all be recycled! We all know we can put paper, cardboard, glass, aluminum, and plastic at the curb, but many other items can be recycled that you may not even realize.
This November 15, on America Recycles Day, let's be more mindful of what we consume, take a moment to recycle something new, and make sure we know the details of what we can and can't recycle at the curb and at our local recycling centers. With just a little effort, we can all do our part to reduce the pollution caused by waste and its negative impact on our lakes, rivers, and ecosystems.
Recycling something as small as a contact lens can make a big difference! Bausch + Lomb and TerraCycle joined together to create the ONE by ONE Lens Recycling Program, which provides an opportunity to recycle all brands of used contact lenses, contact lens packaging, contact lens cases, and more. There's even a dropoff location right in Jefferson!
If you have old or broken crayons, send them to the National Crayon Recycle Program. Crayons are made of paraffin wax, a petroleum by-product, that is not biodegradable. The National Crayon Recycle Program recycles unwanted, rejected, broken crayons into new crayons, keeping thousands of pounds out of landfills. They provide simple instructions for crayon donations and even resources to hold your own crayon collection drive, which can be turned into a school fundraiser! You can also purchase the 100% recycled crayons in support of the program and recycling education.
Did you know that the plastic used in a single printer cartridge can take more than 1,000 years to decompose? Even then, it never truly disappears, it just breaks into smaller and smaller pieces. But you can recycle your empty ink and toner cartridges (and even earn a little cash) through Recycleplace.org. Individuals can register for free, mail cartridges using a provided pre-paid UPS label, and then sit back and wait for your check in the mail! You can also bring your old cartridges to Staples for 500 Staples points per cartridge you can use towards new ink.
TerraCycle and Colgate have partnered to create a national recycling program for all brands of used or empty oral care products and packaging. To participate in the Colgate Oral Care Free Recycling Program, simply enroll on the website and download a free shipping label to ship your used or empty toothpaste tubes and caps, toothbrushes, toothpaste cartons, toothbrush outer packaging, and floss containers to TerraCycle. Brush. Rinse. Recycle.
Best Buy has a large recycling program, allowing up to three items per household per day to be recycled for free. Items accepted include TVs, electronics, phones, cameras, gadgets, movies, music, video games, gadgets, and more! Staples also accepts a wide variety of items to be recycled in store. Recycling the accepted items, such as tech, batteries, school supplies, and even luggage, can earn you rewards within their points system.
Whether you're at home, on the go, at the office, or in school, there are countless opportunities to go green by recycling. Learn more about simple ways to reduce waste HERE, and explore Earth911’s extensive recycling database for even more options. Every small action adds up to meaningful change.
Hopatcong Recycling Center
Veterans Way portion of Flora Avenue - Wednesday, 8 am to 12 pm and on Saturday from 8 am to 4 pm.
Jefferson Township Recycling Center
Intersection of Sparta Mountain Road and Weldon Road - Wednesdays from 9 am to 1 pm and on Saturdays from 9 am to 2 pm.
Morris County recycling information
Sussex County recycling information
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