America Recycles Day, we can all do our part

November 13, 2020| Environment

By: Holly Odgers

Recycling is a simple task that helps protect the environment, conserve natural resources. and keep our communities clean and vibrant. 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, take a moment to recycle something new and make sure you know the details of what you can and can't recycle at your curb and at your local recycling center. 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 natural environments. 

Find out more about how you can reduce waste HERE.

Did you know you can recycle...

Contact Lenses and packaging

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. There's even a dropoff location right in Lake Hopatcong! 

Crayons

If you have old or broken crayons, send them to Crazy Crayons. This program collects crayons from around the country, melts them down, and sells 100% recycled crayons, they even come in cute shapes and containers, too!

Toothbrushes

It takes centuries for a piece of plastic to fully decompose, and toothbrushes are no exception. TerraCycle and Colgate have partnered to create a national recycling program for all brands of used or empty oral care products and packaging. Brush. Rinse. Recycle. 

TVs, electronics, phones, and more

Best Buy has a large recycling program and will allow you to recycle up to three items per household per day including TVs, electronics, phones, cameras, gadgets, movies, music, video games, gadgets, and more! 

Ink/toner cartridges

Recycleplace.org will pay a few cents for your old ink cartridges, up to $1 depending on the brand. Or you can bring your old cartridges to Staples for a $2 voucher you can use towards new ink. 

For more recycling opportunities visit EARTH911s extensive recycling database, which includes more than 350 materials and 100,000+ listings. 

Local recycling centers

Hopatcong Recycling Center
Veterans Way portion of Flora Avenue - Wednesday, 9 AM to noon and on Saturday from 8 AM to 4 PM

Jefferson Township Recycling Center
Intersection of Sparta Mountain Road and Weldon Road - Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Morris County recycling

Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority also has a very helpful YouTube Channel.  

Sussex County recycling