Roving Reporter: Recycling

SSC has a new Roving Reporter! Eleven-year-old Sharon resident, Sylvia. Below is her first article—an interview with Sharon's Recycling Coordinator, Molli Denrich.

Have you ever wondered where your recycling goes? I talked to Molli Denrich, the town’s recycling coordinator, to find out.

One thing Molli is in charge of is communicating about recycling in Sharon. She also is responsible for outreach and education, applying for grants to support recycling and composting efforts, and she reminds us when we have violated recycling rules. An important rule is that if you put trash in the recycling bin, that whole bin can’t be recycled. And you’ll get a letter from Molli!

Where does our recycling go?

The town’s hauler, Republic Services, picks our recycling up from our homes and takes it to a recycling facility in Avon where everything is processed. There, things are separated and sorted using optical sorters and magnets. Glass is crushed and paper is blown. If it isn’t sorted correctly the first time, it goes through the loop again and anything that cannot be recycled goes into the trash. Other companies purchase the materials from the facility in Avon to get used in new ways.

What can you do to help at home?

Molli shared a few simple tips to help think about recycling and composting in Sharon.

1. Put a recycling sticker/reminder on the lid of your recycling (“Recycle Smart Recycling Guide”). This helps you remember what goes in the recycling bin versus the trash bin.

2. Plastic items can be the most confusing to sort. Molli suggested focusing on the shape of the item rather than the number printed on it. “Jugs, tubs, bottles and jars” are all OK to recycle. Take a look at the “Recycle Smart Recycling Guide” for more information.

3. Don’t “wish-cycle” - Just because you hope something is recyclable doesn’t mean it is. Molli said, “when in doubt, throw it out.”

4. Most importantly, never put your recycling in a plastic bag. The bags tangle up the sorting machines, which is really bad!

5. Don’t be afraid of composting! It’s easy to start, and Molli promises it doesn’t smell bad if you do it correctly!

One of the best things we can do is reduce our waste.
Remember it takes everyone to make a difference!