BREWSTER, NY—As America Recycles Day approaches, the Putnam County Department of Health is calling on residents and visitors to embrace the challenge to refuse, reduce, reuse and recycle more. Celebrated annually on November 15, the day is an initiative of the non-profit organization Keep America Beautiful, and the only nationally recognized day to promote and celebrate recycling in the United States. The idea behind it is to educate, motivate and make recycling bigger and better.

“There is no doubt that recycling can be confusing,” says Victoria DiLonardo, who previously held a position as recycling coordinator, and now works in health education. “But there are many simple things one can do to recycle better and reduce the amount of waste they produce. Each single effort makes a difference.”

That is because recycling everyday objects, such as paper, glass and plastic bottles, clothing and electronics, saves energy. Using these recycled materials to create new products means less virgin material needs to be harvested, mined, processed, manufactured and transported. These processes consume energy and increase greenhouse gases.

In Putnam County, curbside garbage and recycling are managed by each town and the health department website makes it easy to find who to contact if questions arise. A link on the Putnam Recycles page can be found here: https://www.putnamcountyny.gov/health/recycle#towns

Curbside recycling has made things much easier and single stream recycling has simplified things further. When in doubt about a particular item, a handy resource is the New York State “Recyclopedia.” This search tool and guide at www.recyclerightny.org/statewide-recyclopedia provides reduction, reuse, and recycling instructions for more than 300 common household items. Simply enter the item name into the search bar or explore one of the 13 pictured categories to learn what to do to reduce waste when things are no longer needed.

Progress in increasing recycling has been made over the decades. In fact, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, known as the EPA, the national recycling rate has increased four times over from meager beginnings in 1960 of less than seven percent to a rate of 32 percent in 2018. In Putnam County however, the recycling rate was much lower at just 17 percent in 2023. Increasing awareness and knowledge surrounding recycling, dispelling myths and expanding awareness of waste reduction practices are important priorities.

One question people face when trying to recycle is what to do with an item they are unsure of. Is it better to throw it in the recycling bin or garbage? Here the answer is simple: If in doubt, throw it out. Non-recyclable items can damage sorting machinery and contaminate otherwise good recyclables. This ultimately results in larger amounts being dumped in a landfill. There is a term for this—“wish cycling” and it comes from good intentions. Wish cycling is best avoided to reduce contamination of other recycled products.

Another common dilemma is what do with a used pizza box, which likely has some grease and cheese on it. The Keep America Beautiful website says that the amount of grease and cheese typically in a pizza box is not an issue for the recycling process. This means that pizza boxes with grease and cheese spots less than the size of a credit card can go straight into your curbside recycling bin. Too much grease will interfere with the recycling process by weakening the strength of the recycled paper fibers; cheese dissolves or is eliminated during the pulping, paper-making process. To avoid the possibility of wish cycling it’s best to remove large grease spots or chunks of cheese before recycling. Throwing away the bottom part and recycling only the lid is another option.

Residents can learn more and test their recycling know-how at the Keep America Beautiful website here: www.kab.org/recycling/recycling-reality-check-quiz/

The mission of the Putnam County Department of Health is to improve and protect the health of the Putnam County community. The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) through 2029, serves a community composed of nearly 100,000 residents. Core services are provided through a lens of equity, and include community health assessment, disease surveillance and control, emergency preparedness, environmental health protection, family health promotion and health education. For more information, please visit the County website at www.putnamcountyny.gov, or visit our social media sites on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram @PutnamHealthNY.

For online information:

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): www.epa.gov/recycle
• Putnam Recycles: https://www.putnamcountyny.gov/health/recycle#towns
• New York State Recyclopedia: www.recyclerightny.org/statewide-recyclopedia
• Keep America Beautiful: www.kab.org/recycling