Upcoming Events:
STYROFOAM RECYCLING
Saturday June 21
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Lifoam Industries,
2 Fifth St., Peabody
E-WASTE
Saturday June 28
8am - 12noon
5 Jefferson Avenue.
Limits: TV/CRT: 2
White goods: 1
Small electronics: no limit.
Proof of residency/
ownership required. $10.00 fee.
Contact Julie Rose at
[email protected] or 978.619.5679 with questions or to volunteer.
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Interesting article re-posted from the New York Times.
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Have you volunteered for a Salem Recycles Event?
Don't miss our volunteer appreciation event!
When? Thursday June 26 from 6-8 pm
Where: The Winter Island Function Hall
Why? Because we couldn't do what we do without You!
More details will follow in an email. If you have any questions, please contact Julie Rose at [email protected] or 978.619.5679
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Reduce waste this summer!
If you're a boater, and you can't reuse your boat's shrink wrap, recycle it at North Shore Recycled Fibers on Jefferson Ave.! That's the same place you can recycle any broken patio chairs, kiddie pools, or other RIGID PLASTIC items (free of metal parts). Hours are M-F, 7-3 and Sat. 7-11.
Having a clam- or lobster-bake? Compost those shells, leftover food, and food-soiled napkins through Salem's Food Scraps Plus program!
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What's new with the Updated Bottle Bill?
Massachusetts' successful bottle deposit law may finally get its long-awaited update this Fall! Enough petition signatures seem to have been collected to put the update on the November 4 ballot. If it passes, the nickel deposit will be added to bottled water and other newer beverages - which should bring about reduced litter and increased recycling. Read more about it here: http://www.massbottlebill.org/ubb/
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What DOESN'T get recycled in Salem?
Here's an example of items that aren't recyclable in Salem. WHY? They aren't 100% paper; rather, they're a composite of paper plus other material such as plastic or metal. Please do not include in your blue bin or with paper recycling. (Note - guidelines may vary in other communities.) In addition, plastic straws and plastic cutlery are generally not recyclable. |
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Re-purpose your paper bags and turn them into gift-wrap! This one, pr�t a porter;
handle and all!
Do YOU have a bright idea?
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News You Can Re-Use
June 2014, Issue 10
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 | | A New Kind of Wrench in the Works. |
This, our tenth issue of our Newsletter, focuses on, you guessed it: plastic bags! No, we will not bring attention to animals wrapped in plastic, or worse, but on how we can prevent that from happening in the first place!
The photo above depicts a grim picture in and of itself. It tells the story of what happens when plastic bags are mixed in with the recycling: the sorting machines come to a screeching halt until the bags can be removed by hand and typically thrown out in the garbage. Mass. Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) operators say that "plastic bags remain the #1 contaminant, causing frequent plant stoppage and costly part replacement." Thank you for keeping plastic bags OUT of your recycle bin!
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The Inexplicable Actions of the Trash Truck
by Recycling Coordinator Gretchen Carey,
Bedford DPW, 3/17/14, adapted by SalemRecycles with permission.
When you put your containers out for trash or recycling, are you perplexed by the response of your waste services provider Northside Carting? There are several common issues that are easily solved, and simple suggestions may smooth over your relationship with our recycling hauler:
- You put out a plastic container to hold your recycling, and the truck keeps it.
- Explanation: The driver can't tell your recycling container from the other plastics. Please get a sticker from the City that says "Paper" or "Cans and Bottles" on it, and stick it to your container. Any durable container will do. That way, the driver will know to leave your container behind.
- You put out a plastic container to be recycled, and the driver leaves it on your lawn.
- Explanation: The driver thinks that you are using this container to hold your recyclables, not to be part of it. Tape a note to the container in question, saying "Please Take," and you should find your container disappears into the truck. You can also recycle your plastic through our rigid plastic program at 53 Jefferson Avenue.
- You used a stickered storage container for your recyclables, and it disappeared.
- Explanation: The hardiness of storage containers varies, and in New England's cold winters the plastic may shatter easily when the driver picks it up. It may be that your container fell apart in the driver's hands, and he threw the pieces into the truck rather than throw them all over your yard.
- You know cardboard must be recycled, but they left yours on the lawn.
- Explanation: The trouble is with the size of the item, not the item itself. Cardboard needs to be flattened and cut/ripped into pieces smaller than 3' x 3'.
- For some inexplicable reason, the trash truck/ recycling truck left all my stuff at the curb. They just skipped over me!
- Explanation: Don't be offended- it is not personal. Due to human error, traffic problems, and weather, a few pickups get skipped every week. Just call Northside Carting at 978 745 0635 as soon as you realize that your trash/recycling was not picked up (when your neighbors' was), and someone will be back to get it.
- I got a door hanger on my trash- they are trying to tell me something.
- Explanation: The City's recycling coordinator addresses consistent problems, whether they are overfilled trash toters, or other recycling issues. Please take a minute to read the door hanger, survey the scene, and see what you can do to help the situation. If you are still confused, you can leave a message for the recycling coordinator at 978 619 5672.
- I am such a good recycler that I am putting out several containers every week. It is ridiculous- my lawn is littered with containers, and I can barely get out the driveway!
- Explanation: You can use an ordinary trash can as your container for commingled (plastics, glass and metal) if you put a "bottles and cans" or "recycling" sticker on it. The stickers are free at 120 Washington Street, 4th floor. Consider getting a wheeled container, to make your life easier. Just be sure to put your paper in a separate container, or in a paper bag inside the barrel, so it is easily separated out. This should cut down on the "yard sale" look!
So, as you can see, there are often rational explanations for many of the seemingly unreasonable things that may happen to your trash and recycling. If you have a problem that is not mentioned in this article, don't hesitate to write to Cheryl Cripps at [email protected] at the Engineering Department: it is their intent to serve you reliably!
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Upcycle Your Old Cartons!
 | | Image by Creative Salem |
With a bit of paint, a pair of scissors and lots of creative imagination you can make beautiful birdhouses from your empty drink cartons!
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