By WKTV Staff
The Kent County Department of Public Works (DPW) has launched its fall recycling guide to help residents ensure recyclable and hard to dispose of materials don’t end up in a landfill this fall.
The 2023 Fall Recycling Guide is part of the DPW’s efforts to familiarize Kent County residents with items that can be placed in their recycling bins to move toward the goal of reducing landfill waste by 90 percent by 2030. The guide also includes tips for properly recycling or disposing of material that can’t go in a recycling bin, but can still be kept out of a landfill like leaves, pool chemicals and clothing.
“The fall season and fall holidays can bring about a lot of waste, from food containers to costumes to decorations, so it’s important Kent County residents are knowledgeable about what can be recycled and put to better use than sitting in a landfill,” said Micah Herrboldt, waste reduction educator at the DPW. “We’re proud of our community’s commitment to recycling and reducing waste all year-round.”
In the fall, the DPW tends to see items like cider jugs, paper cups and cartons, certain plastics and cardboard boxes end up in the trash when they could be placed in curbside recycling bins and eventually repurposed. Items like soup and broth cartons, rigid plastics and metal cans and tins for pie filling, also can be recycled.
If an item can’t be recycled, there are other options for residents to avoid contributing to the landfill. The DPW offers tips for what to do with Halloween costumes and wigs, sweaters and coats, as well as clothing that’s been outgrown by children.
If a garage clean-out is on your fall to do list, household hazardous waste can be brought to any of the DPW’s SafeChem locations throughout the county for free responsible disposal. Organic waste like branches, leaves and garden plants can be provided through a local waste hauler.
The Kent County Department of Public Works provides municipal solid waste disposal services to ensure the effective removal, storage and disposal of residential and commercial solid waste through various facilities and programs, including Waste-to-Energy, the Recycling and Education Center, North Kent Transfer Station and South Kent Landfill.
