Delaware Recycles

MAKE EARTH DAY EVERY DAY

Delaware Recycles

Recycling, waste reduction and reuse are all essential to
environmentally responsible consumer behavior and align with
the mission of Earth Day. The Delaware Department of Natural
Resources and Environmental Control, along with our sister
agency, the Delaware Solid Waste Authority, worked to support

this guide to help illustrate what Delawareans can do to include
these principles in their everyday lives.
Recycling is the easiest way individuals can protect our
environment as well as support jobs in collection,
transportation and manufacturing. Delaware made
recycling easy by creating a single program for
the entire state that is the same regardless of
being at home, school, work or play. Recycling
“RIGHT” is the best approach for people take.
That means putting acceptable items into your
recycling bin and disposing of unacceptable
items properly in your trash or at a household
waste drop-off collection site.
Reducing what you use by swapping out
single-use objects with reusable versions
is easy to do. Buying a used item versus
a new product each time you need
something means less overall waste
gets produced. Multiplying
these actions of
reducing, reusing and
recycling across our
State, leads to very
significant impacts
to protect our
environment.
Keep this guide
handy throughout
the year and
make Earth Day
every day.
Sincerely,
DNREC & DSWA

A Throwaway Society

The average American produces about 2,000 pounds of waste each year.
Of that total, about 700 pounds is recycled and the remaining 1,300 pounds
is thrown away. In Delaware, 39 percent of all waste is recycled.

• The good news is that the amount of waste Who recycles? In a national
ending up in landfills has dropped from 94 survey, the following results
percent in 1960 to 50 percent in 2018 were tabulated:
• In our landfills: food waste, 24 percent;
plastics, 18 percent; paper, 12 percent; metals, • 18-34-year-olds, 92 percent
9 percent; yard waste, 7 percent; and glass, 5 • 35-to-49-year-olds, 89 percent
percent • 50-to-64-year-olds, 87 percent
• 65-plus, 68 percent

THE AVERAGE AMERICAN PRODUCES A TON OF TRASH EVERY YEAR*

38 pounds of newspapers

48 pounds of books

25 pounds of office papers

22 pounds of paper plates or cups

28 pounds of aluminum beer and soda cans

77 pounds of plastic bottles and jars

90 pounds of tossed-out clothes and shoes

77 pounds of cardboard boxes

*Source: EPA

MAKE EVERY DAY EARTH DAY

Recycle Right is the Message

By Ron MacArthur | Cape Gazette senior reporter

Recycle Right! That’s the message in Delaware’s statewide campaigns to encourage proper
recycling. The Delaware Solid Waste Authority and Delaware Department of Natural Resources and
Environmental Control work to educate the public on the proper way to use the state’s single-stream
recycling program. Still, even the most environmentally aware person can make mistakes.

The top three contaminants in the recycling bin are: • Shredded paper
• Plastic bags • Materials with leftover food

Place acceptable recyclable items loose in your curbside recycling bin or dumpster.
Plastic bags get tangled up in the conveyor-belt sorting system at the Materials Recovery Facility
in New Castle, where all single-stream recyclables are trucked and sorted. Facility staff has to
shut down the entire facility and physically remove the jams, causing delays and costing money.
Materials with food waste can contaminate other paper products. This lessens the paper’s value
and ability to be recycled, and it may end up being thrown away. Shredded paper is too small to
move through the MRF’s fast moving conveyor belts and cannot be recovered.

DNREC and DSWA say: Not all recycling
is curbside!
• Do not place any plastic Many drop-off programs exist
bags in your recycle bin within Delaware to complement
• Rinse all recyclable what goes in the bin.
containers of liquid or food
residue » Useful websites
• Don’t crush aluminum cans dswa.com/recycling-center-finder
or plastic bottles
• Keep lids on plastic bottles dswa.com/programs/household-hazardous

DE.gov/recycling

Helpful tips • Use reusable shopping bags. Plastic bags
can tangle up the conveyor-belt sorting system
• You may not be able to recycle an entire at the facility.
pizza box, but you can tear off the top and
recycle it if there is no food waste on it.

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE Yard waste
Yard waste is banned from
Recycling
in Delaware all Delaware landfills. The best
way to handle most yard waste
Cutting down on the amount of waste we throw is to compost or mulch it on-site.
away helps conserve natural resources, landfill Larger items may need to be
space and energy. By observing the Three handled at a commercial yard
R’s - reduce, reuse and recycle - we also help waste site. Many Delaware
safeguard land and save money. waste haulers offer curbside yard
waste service, and residents can
Recycling containers also take their yard waste to
and collection for residents Delaware Solid Waste Authority
sites and commercial drop-off
Your waste hauler or municipality must sites. Commercial waste haulers
provide you with an adequately sized recycling and drop-off sites may charge
container for the purpose of storage and additional fees for yard waste
collection of recyclables. Recycling collection drop-off.
services will be provided at least once every
other week. Check with your waste hauler or Nearly all DSWA collection
your city/town office for available container and transfer stations and landfills
options and collection schedules. in Delaware accept yard waste,
separated from trash, for a fee. It
Find a waste/recycling hauler is then processed into beneficial
A list of Delaware licensed waste haulers new uses.
Go to DE.gov/yardwaste
offering Universal Recycling can be found by for a list of drop-off sites around
visiting the Delaware Solid Waste Authority the State.
website at dswa.com or by calling DSWA at
800-404-7080. Waste haulers can provide you YES - Grass clippings, leaves,
with waste and recycling services, rates, and prunings, brush, shrubs, garden
pickup schedules. Call them if you have specific materials, Christmas trees, tree
questions about their services. limbs up to 4 inches in diameter

Universal Recycling NO - Dirt and soil,
For questions about the Universal Recycling construction debris, fencing,
decking, treated wood, railroad
Law or the Universal Recycling Regulations go ties, pet/animal waste
to www.recycling.delaware.gov or call DNREC,
Division of Waste and Hazardous Substances at
302-739-9403.

Commercial-sector recycling
All commercial-sector entities are required

to: actively participate in a comprehensive
recycling program, identify recyclables and
keep them separate from the solid waste
stream, and ensure the recyclables are collected
for recycling. DNREC can provide technical
assistance to enhance business recycling efforts.

WHAT TO RECYCLE

Single-Stream Recycling

DESPITE HEADLINES TO THE CONTRARY, RECYCLING IS ALIVE AND WELL IN DELAWARE!
Delaware has a robust processing infrastructure to manage your recyclable materials. However, there has been
an increase in the amount of unacceptable items being placed into recycling containers, which has had a negative
impact. Not everything with a recycling symbol is accepted in Delaware’s single-stream recycling program.

HERE’S WHAT’S ACCEPTED, AND WHAT’S NOT:

YES

PAPER
• Paper larger than index card

• Corrugated cardboard
• Clean paper bags
• Envelopes
• Telephone books

• Newspapers and magazines
• Regular and junk mail
• Paperback books
• Paperboard boxes

• Office paper and file folders
• Wrapping paper except foil paper

MISCELLANEOUS
• Clean juice boxes and milk cartons

• Any color glass bottles and jars –
remove lids and recycle separately;
labels can be left on
• Aluminum, tin and steel cans
• Clean aluminum foil

PLASTICS ALL RECYCLABLES
• Plastic bottles and jugs SHOULD BE LOOSE, EMPTY,
CLEAN AND DRY IN THE BIN
• Narrow neck plastic bottles

• Rinsed-out plastic yogurt
and butter containers

NO

• Coffee cups • Scrap metal
• Styrofoam egg cartons
• Diapers
• Plastic bags
• Items with food residue • Straws

• Waxed paper • Window glass and mirrors
• Clear plastic wrap
• Packing peanuts • Ceramics and dishes

• Ceramics • Frozen food boxes (have a
waxed coating and moisture barrier)

• Packaging such as that used for
household battery packs

ALL RECYCLABLES SHOULD BE LOOSE, EMPTY, CLEAN AND DRY IN THE BIN.

SOCIAL MEDIA

FACEBOOK.COM/DELAWAREDNREC FACEBOOK.COM/DELAWARESOLIDWASTEAUTHORITY
TWITTER.COM/DELAWAREDNREC TWITTER.COM/DESOLIDWASTE
YOUTUBE.COM/USER/DELAWAREDNREC

DSWA
EDUCATION

FACEBOOK.COM/DELAWARERECYCLES FACEBOOK.COM/DSWAEDUCATION
TWITTER.COM/DE_RECYCLES

What Can We Do?

REDUCE
The less we buy and use, the less we throw into the recycling bin or, worse yet, the trash. We save natural resources

with less packaging, less single-use items, more planning and creating less waste.
Look at what you’re throwing into recycling & trash bins and consider what you could do to reduce your refuse!

REUSE
Even small changes like ditching plastic single-use water bottles for a reusable water bottle

can cut down your waste dramatically!

WHERE DOES IT ALL GO?

RON MACARTHUR PHOTOS

Republic Services operations manager Jorge Arturo Aguero walks through a large warehouse storing mixed
paper and cardboard ready for shipment out of the Delaware Materials Recovery Facility near New Castle.

All Delaware Household
Recyclables End Up at the MRF

By Ron MacArthur | Cape Gazette senior reporter

All household recyclables in Delaware end up at one location – the Delaware Recycling Center
Materials Recovery Facility near New Castle. Operated by Republic Services, the facility sorts
and bales recyclable materials 16 hours a day, five days a week. Up to 10,000 tons of recyclable
material – including paper, cardboard, plastics, glass, aluminum and scrap metal – is shipped out
of the center each month to companies all over the world for recycling.

While optical sorters and even an artificial-intelligence robot are used to sort through material, it
still takes crews of employees stationed along various stages of the process to pick out materials that
can’t be recycled as they move by on conveyor belts.

Dozens of 2,000-lb. bales of cardboard are ready for shipment out PET plastic, including water bottles,
of the recycling center. Most paper is shipped overseas for recycling. heads up a conveyor belt for baling
during the last stage of the recycling
process.

The first step in the recycling process takes place in a large build- Republic Services employees sort through
ing where trucks unload household recycling from all over the material at various conveyor-belt stations
state. The material is placed onto a conveyor belt. in an effort to pick out all trash.

Bales of cardboard are ready to be moved
by a forklift to stacks in the warehouse.

The Delaware Recycling Center Materials
Recovery Facility, located near New Cas-
tle, has been in operation since 2012.

Artificial intelligence has become an integral part of the recycling Material, such as plastic bags, that cannot
process. The machine uses robotic arms and a vision system to be recycled at the center ends up being
sort materials. At the Delaware site, it sorts out PET plastic bottles baled and taken to a landfill.
and aluminum.

A Republic Services crew prescreens material entering the pro-

cess to pull out items that can’t be recycled. Other crews along One of the system’s optical sorters picks
the conveyor belts will also sort through the material.
out plastic jugs, such as milk jugs.

Plastic Bags in Delaware

NO PLASTIC BAGS
go into recycling bins!

No matter the type of plastic bag,
it should be recycled at an At-Store
Recycling drop-off program, not at
the curb.

It’s That Easy!

Keep all recycling loose and
OUT of bags. If you use a bag to
collect your recyclables, empty
the contents of the bag into the
recycling bin and dispose of the
bag properly. Need more info?

Check out de.gov/bags
for all of the rules.

Most plastic carryout bags
banned in Delaware

By Ron MacArthur | Cape Gazette senior reporter #BYOBagDE

Starting Jan. 1, Delaware joined
a small number of other states
banning the use of most plastic
carryout bags.

House Bill 130 prohibits stores with more than
7,000 square feet of retail sales space, or chain
stores with at least 3,000 square feet of space,
from handing out single-use plastic carryout bags
for purchases. Restaurants are excluded. Also
excluded are bags used to wrap meat, fish,
flowers or potted plants; and bags used for live
animals or chemical pesticides, or placed over
articles of clothing.

If retailers provide exempt plastic bags
(described above) or reusable plastic film bags
at checkout, they must provide an at-store
plastic bag recycling program.

Stores throughout the state have complied with the new law in a variety
of ways. Some stores have switched to paper bags while many others
have switched to reusable, recyclable plastic bags. While some stores
charge for bags, so far, the majority do not.

Delaware is the fifth state in the nation to have a plastic bag ban law,
joining California, Hawaii, New York and Oregon. At least 16 other
states have bans or fees for bags at county and municipal levels.

Across the country, less than 10 percent of plastic bags are recycled.
Adam Schlachter, a program manager at the Delaware Department
of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, said education is a
major component of the program. “We don’t want confusion on what can
and cannot be recycled. We want at-store recycling to be visible, clearly
marked and easily accessible,” he said. “And we want to ensure that
the plastic is going to a valid plastic bag recycling center and not being
disposed of improperly.”
Don Long, DNREC Recycling Team outreach leader, said state officials
are promoting the use of reusable bags, including a new heavyweight
plastic bag which can be cleaned and reused or recycled.
Under the law, retailers can offer customers free reusable or paper
bags or charge for each bag.
The purpose of the legislation is to clean up Delaware’s communities
and watersheds, reduce stormwater- and trash-management costs to
taxpayers, and promote the health and safety of watersheds, wildlife and
humans, and the ecosystem’s food chain.

Read the bill at:
legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?legislationId=47388

What Can We Do?

REDUCE
Only use a bag if you need one. Reduce the waste caused by relying on thin, plastic carryout bags.

REUSE RECYCLE
Use your own shopping bags whenever you go shopping! Stores providing reusable plastic bags should all have recycling
collection containers outside their store for your convenience.
Reuse paper bags. Reuse thick plastic bags,
don’t just throw them away. Make it your habit to return every bag you receive.

The three R’s – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle – all help to cut down
on the amount of waste we throw away. They conserve natural resources, landfill
space and energy. Plus, the three R’s save land and money communities must use
to dispose of waste in landfills. Most often, the biggest emphasis is placed on
recycling, but the biggest impacts can come from reducing how much we use, buy
or consume, and reusing as much as possible.

REDUCE
• Buy less! The majority of what we consume ends up in landfills. The less we buy,

the less packaging and bags we waste.
• Minimize your use of single use plastic items by using reusable bottles, straws,

and silverware.
• If you only buy a few items, refuse a bag because you do not really need one.

If you think you’ll buy a bunch of items, remember to bring a reusable shopping
bag.
• Take small portions of food and go back for “seconds” if you are still hungry.
The less we over-consume, the less waste and environmental impact.

REDUCE
• If you have the option, choose a non-plastic product made from sustainable

materials like bamboo, hemp or paper. You’ll leave a smaller carbon footprint and
long-term impact on the environment.
• Buy in bulk or buy larger packages. Buying in bulk is usually cheaper than buying
individually wrapped servings, and requires less packaging.
• Buy local! It not only helps the local community, but buying in places like small, local
shops or farmers markets usually means much less packaging as well.
• Cook at home. When you order food, the packaging quickly adds up, and more
of it isn’t recyclable. Make meals at home and store leftovers in reusable storage
containers. Take leftovers to work or school and save money along the way!

REUSE
• It’s easy! Choose products which are durable

enough to be reused again and again.
• BAGS! You’ve learned of the Delaware plastic

bag ban by now and no doubt have an
assortment of reusable bags for all your shopping
needs - including bags for fruits & vegetables.
Remember to bring them shopping with you to
avoid extra costs and frustration at the register.
• Avoid single use food and drink containers and
utensils. Reusable containers and washable
silverware help to eliminate the need for this
type of packaging. If you are dining out, bring
a reusable container for leftovers and many
restaurants have stopped distributing straws, but
if you need one, just ask your server.
• Buy secondhand items and donate used goods.
Save your old clothes for a garage sale or give
them to a charity. If they are ripped or torn and
cannot be repaired, then use them for cleaning
rags (cut off and save the buttons first).
• Use a hand towel for drying your hands and a
dish cloth or sponge for wiping up spills. They
can be cleaned and used again instead of being
used once and thrown away.
• Be creative! Discover and explore ways you can
reduce your environmental impact by reusing
instead of replacing whatever you use.

RECYCLE
• Whenever you can’t reduce or reuse, be sure to Recycle Right!

Go to Recyclopedia on DE.gov/recycling for more info.

All About plastic factory
Plastics

bottling plant

recyclliinngg bbiinn

Your House Grocery Store

Lifecycle of a Plastic Bottle
Recycle vs. Landfill

TRASH

LANDFILL

Is it worth it to recycle plastics?

IN SHORT, YES! Recycling plastic conserves the fossil fuel — natural gas or oil — used to manufacture it.
The vast majority of plastics end up in landfills (other areas also use incinerators). It’s important to be a responsible
plastic recycler. Each of us can make a difference in what happens to the plastics we buy and use.

What are plastics? Are plastics recyclable?

Plastics is the term commonly used to describe a wide Many are, but some are not. Delaware, like every state, has
range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that are its own rules around which plastics are acceptable and where
used in a huge and growing range of applications. they can be recycled. But plastics are usually “downcycled”
There are two main types of plastics: thermoplastics and into lower-quality and lower-value products, such as carpet
thermosets. Thermoplastics are the type most often able fiber or car parts. And while it’s true that virtually any plastic
to be recycled and reformed into new products. can technically be recycled, that doesn’t mean it will be.

What about the landfill?

When recycling isn’t an option for your plastic waste, throwing away your trash is the best option. This keeps your
unwanted materials from becoming litter on the roadside or floating in our oceans. Landfills have become safer
through improved technologies, capturing methane emmissions & preventing leaks into groundwater supplies.

Which plastics ARE recyclable in Delaware?
Loose, empty, clean & dry containers are eligible for single-stream recycling bins in Delaware

NARROW NECK BOTTLES CONTAINERS WITH CAPS ON
• Shampoo and mouthwash bottles

• Detergent bottles
• Water bottles
• Juice bottles
• Soda bottles
• Bleach bottles

PLASTIC TUBS
• Yogurt containers
• Butter containers

PLASTIC JUGS
• Milk jugs

Which plastics ARE NOT recyclable in Delaware?

• PLASTIC BAGS RETURN OF PLASTIC BAGS
OF ANY KIND
All plastic bags, including the new thicker, reusable bags,
Thin or thick bags are only recyclable at any At-Store Recycling drop-off location.
Plastic bags and film should not go in curbside recycling carts at home.
• BUBBLE WRAP
Instead, return them to the store to be recycled.
• PLASTIC FILM DE.gov/bags

• PLASTIC WRAPPERS

TO BIN OR NOT TO BIN?
DNREC and DSWA says don’t be shy to ask if an item should go into the recycling bin.

Certain items such as plastic bags and small pieces of plastic
can damage or slow down the machinery that processes our recyclables.

Check out the Recyclopedia on DE.gov/recycling
to see if you should put those plastic items in your recycling bin or not.

What Can We Do?

REDUCE
All of us affect the amount of plastic waste we create. Avoiding single-use plastics is a the first step in reducing our
plastic waste. Every time we choose products made from natural, sustainable materials, we are doing our small part

in a huge effort to save the world from pollution and waste.

REUSE RECYCLE
Choosing a reusable product reduces the waste Recycling plastics helps all of us by keeping materials out of
the landfill or polluting our natural environment & oceans.
generated by single-use ones.

ELECTRONICS
RECYCLING

What Is E-Waste? Where?

E-waste is electronic waste (electronic equipment) that is thrown away. It NEW CASTLE:
includes many types of electronics from computers and their monitors, to DE Recycling Center
cellphones and stereos. Unfortunately, electronic waste is among the fastest- Newark Recycling Center
growing waste types in the U.S.
KENT COUNTY
Why Is E-Waste A Problem? Cheswold

When old equipment is not properly recycled, these substances could get into Collection Station
the air, soil and water. They often contain a lot of heavy metals like cadmium, SUSSEX COUNTY
lead, and mercury, along with other toxic substances. Jones Crossroads
Landfill Recycling Center
Recyclable Materials in Electronics? Details at DSWA.com

Consumer electronics contain a variety of recyclable materials like metals,
glass and plastics which can be reused to create new products, decreasing the
need to mine the earth for raw resources. A surprising amount of rare-earth
materials are used in electronics. Recycling your electronics will reduce their
environmental impact.

WHAT CAN BE RECYCLED

COMPUTER COMPONENTS
AND PARTS

• Main frame computers
• Mini computers
• Terminals
• Printers

• Personal computers
• Laptop computers
• Notebook computers
• Notepad computers
• Electronic typewriters
• Copying equipment

• Monitors
• Keyboards

• Mice
• Cables

TELECOMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT

• Calculators • Telephones • Pay telephones

• Telephone systems • Telex • Cordless telephones
• Terminals • Facsimile machines • Cellular telephones

TELEVISION, RADIO
AND AUDIO EQUIPMENT

• Televisions
• Video cameras
• Video recorders
• Tape recorders
• Audio amplifiers

• VCRs
• Cassette players
• Record players

• Radios
• DVD players

SMALL HOUSEHOLD TOYS Find a recycling center with
APPLIANCES • Handheld game systems
DSWA’s interactive map at
• Microwave ovens • Video game systems dswa.com/
• Vacuum cleaners • Electronic toys
recycling-center-finder

What Can You Do?

REDUCE
Maintain and keep equipment as long as possible, upgrading current equipment as long and much as possible. Only purchase the

equipment you need - the more you have and don’t need, the higher the environmental impact.

RECYCLE
Many products can be donated to thrift shops and other resellers. Sometimes, what’s outdated for one person can be
repurposed for someone else with little effort. Return your electronics for credit toward your next purchase whenever possible.
Recycling gives your old electronics a second life & keeps them out of the landfill – saving money and natural resources.

HouseholdCOLLECTION PROGRAM
Hazardous Waste

DSWA operates a Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)
Collection Program free for all Delaware residents.
Weekly events are held in each county and weekend
events are held throughout the year around Delaware.
To find a current schedule of Household Hazardous
Waste events, visit www.dswa.com

YOU CAN bring the following

items to a HHW event: What’s NOT ACCEPTED at HHW

Household Items Explosives* collection events:

• Full Aerosol Cans • Ammunition • Friable asbestos. Disposal by
• Bleach • Gunpowder appointment at Cherry Island Landfill
• Chemistry Kits • Fireworks for a fee. Call 302-764-5385. Friable
• Nail Polish/Polish asbestos can be crumbled, pulverized,
Automotive Items or reduced to powder by hand pressure.
Removers • Used Mixed Fuels May include previously non-friable
• Perfumes • Antifreeze material which became broken or
• Disinfectants • Auto Batteries damaged by mechanical force
• Drain Cleaners • Degreasers
• Non-friable asbestos. Accepted by
appointment at all DSWA landfills for a
fee.

• Floor Wax • Waste Gasoline/ • Unknown substances. Unknown items that
are greater than 1 gallon or 8 pounds.
• Mercury Thermometers Kerosene
• Radioactive waste
• Moth Balls Garden Items • Cooking oil
• Prescription medication. DO NOT
• Oven Cleaner • Fungicides
FLUSH! Medication collection boxes are
• Spot Removers • Herbicides available in Delaware for safe disposal.
List of locations can be found at dswa.
• Toilet Cleaner • Pool Chemicals com. The Drug Enforcement Agency will
accept unused or expired medication at
• Florescent Bulbs Medical Items the National Prescription Drug Take Back
Event. For more information, go to www.
Workshop Items • Used Sharps (bring helpisherede.com/Content/Documents/
• Corrosives sharps in a container Prescription_Drug_Disposal.pdf
• Oil Based Paints you are willing to part
with)

• Small Compressed

Gas Tanks Helpful tips
• Solvents
• Stains/Varnishes • Bring materials in original, sealed containers. Do
not mix products in one container

• Strippers/Thinners • To prevent leakage or breakage, pack separately

• Wood Preservatives in absorbent material or triple bag

*(Explosives not accepted at weekday or 1st • Bring rags to clean up any spills, and dispose of
Saturday Event at Delaware Recycling Center) rags at the collection site

WHAT TO DO with special waste: • Styrofoam - Styrofoam is not accepted
• Scrap tires - Scrap tire piles present a in curbside recycling. DSWA has
partnered with DART
number of environmental, health and Container to provide
safety hazards. DNREC’s Scrap Tire collection at specific
Management Program DSWA recycling drop-off
registers scrap tire centers. Acceptable items
piles and implements include clean foodservice
a cleanup program products such as foam
for scrap tire cups, foam plates, foam egg cartons,
piles that number as well as foam protective packaging
more than 100 typically used to protect consumer
tires and were in goods and electronics
existence on June 30, 2006. For more
information call DNREC’s Division of • Motor oil and filters - Oil which has
Waste and Hazardous Substances at not been mixed with other fuels is
302-739-9403. Residents may bring accepted at specific DSWA recycling
up to 4 tires to DSWA landfills and drop-off centers. Visit www.dswa.com
transfer station at regular disposal rate to locate a center near you
• Appliances - Appliances such as
air conditioners, refrigerators, Find a recycling center with
dishwashers, freezers, washers, dryers, DSWA’s interactive map at
and water heaters can be recycled
at DSWA landfills or transfer stations dswa.com/
for a fee. Visit www.dswa.com or call recycling-center-finder
800-404-7080

NEW CASTLE COUNTY DSWA Locations

1. DELAWARE RECYCLING CENTER SUSSEX COUNTY
1101 Lambson Lane, New Castle
8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Mon.-Fri.; 1 8. JONES CROSSROADS
8:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Sat. RECYCLING CENTER
Single-stream, cardboard, motor oil New Castle 28560 Landfill Lane, Georgetown
and filters, batteries, styrofoam, electronics. County 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Mon.-Sat.
Special Collections: Single-stream, cardboard, motor oil and filters, batteries,
Household Hazardous Waste 3 styrofoam, electronics.
- Every Saturday Special Collections:
Latex Paint Collection 4 Household Hazardous Waste - Every Monday
- Last Saturday of each month 5 Latex Paint Collection - Last Monday of each month
Paper Shredding 6 Paper Shredding - First Monday of each month
- First Saturday of each month

2. NEWARK RECYCLING CENTER 2
470 Corporate Blvd., Newark
8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Mon.-Sat. 9. BRIDGEVILLE COLLECTION STATION
Single-stream, cardboard, 16539 Polk Road, Bridgeville
motor oil and filters, batteries, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Mon.-Sat.
styrofoam, electronics. Single-stream, cardboard, motor oil and filters, batteries
Special Collections:
Household Hazardous Waste 10. ELLENDALE COLLECTION STATION
- Every Wednesday 13870 Old State Road, Ellendale
Latex Paint Collection 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.,Mon.-Sat.
- Last Wednesday of each month Single-stream, cardboard, motor oil and filters, batteries
Paper Shredding
- First Wednesday of each month

3. PINE TREE CORNERS Kent 11. ROUTE 5 TRANSFER STATION
TRANSFER STATION County 29997 John P. Healy Dr., Harbeson
276 Pine Tree Corners Road, Townsend 7 a.m.-3 p.m., Mon.-Sat.
7 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Sat. Single-stream, cardboard, motor oil
Single-stream, cardboard, motor oil and filters, batteries
and filters, batteries
12. LONG NECK COLLECTION STATION
KENT COUNTY 28963 Mount Joy Road, Millsboro
8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Mon.-Sat.
4. CHESWOLD COLLECTION STATION and 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Sundays May-Sept.
54 Fork Branch Road, Cheswold Single-stream, cardboard, motor oil
8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Mon.-Sat. and filters, batteries
Single-stream, cardboard, motor oil and
filters, batteries, styrofoam, electronics. 13. OMAR COLLECTION STATION
Special Collections: 33086 Burton Farm Road, Frankford
Household Hazardous Waste - Every Friday 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Mon.-Sat. and
Latex Paint Collection 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Sundays May-Sept.
- Last Friday of each month
Paper Shredding 7 Single-stream, cardboard, motor oil
- First Friday of each month and filters, batteries

5. DELAWARE SOLID WASTE AUTHORITY 9 10 11
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE 8 12
1128 S. Bradford St., Dover, Sussex
24 hours a day County 13
Single-stream, cardboard, motor oil
and filters, batteries

6. SANDTOWN LANDFILL
1107 Willow Grove Road, Felton
7 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Sat.
Single-stream, cardboard, motor oil
and filters, batteries

7. MILFORD TRANSFER STATION
1170 S. DuPont Boulevard
7 a.m.-3 p.m., Mon.-Sat.
Single-stream, cardboard, motor oil and filters,
batteries, styrofoam

TAKE ACTION

Make Conservation
a Family Affair

Waste Reduction, recycling, and caring
for Mother Earth can be a family affair.
Something as simple as using your own bag
for shopping or turning off a light switch can
make a difference.

• Teach your children what can be recycled. • Use mugs and jugs, not plastic or styrofoam.
Get them involved, including rinsing out • Use eco-friendly cleaners.
materials to remove leftover food.

• Hang the Recycling in Delaware poster on • Recycle used ink cartridges at electronics
your refrigerator. Go to DE.gov/recycling or stores.
dswa.com to get a copy. • Mailing companies like UPS will take your
• Learn to pass it on. Take time to clean out packaging peanuts.
closets and take unwanted and unused toys, • Don't use plastic utensils.
books and clothing to local thrift stores. Call
ahead to see what they accept.

• You can also make money from your Buy nothing!
unwanted items by holding a family yard sale.
• Pack lunches in reusable containers. The Buy Nothing Project began when
• Use your own bags when shopping. two friends, Rebecca Rockefeller and
• Teach your children to turn off lights and TVs Liesl Clark, created an experimental
when not in use. hyper-local gift economy on Bainbridge
• Get outside on your bikes and take Island, Wash. in July 2013. Since
advantage of the many trails in Delaware. Go then, it has become a worldwide social
to alltrails.com/us/delaware. movement, with groups in 44 nations.
• Drink your own tap water. Although water Local groups form gift economies that
bottles can be recycled, only about 12 percent are complementary and parallel to
are recycled. Americans throw out an estimated local cash
35 billion water bottles each year. economies.
• Take showers of 5 minutes or less and save Whether
18 gallons of water. people join
• Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth and because they’d
save 5 gallons of water per day per person. like to quickly
• Create your own backyard nature area with get rid of
bird feeders. Start a bird inventory list. things that are
• Visit state and national parks to collect cluttering their
memories, not stuff. lives, or simply
to save money by getting things for free,
they quickly discover that groups are
not just another free recycling platform.

Search for a local Buy Nothing group
at buynothingproject.org/find-a-group.

• Start a small compost project using food
waste and materials such as leaves.

Earth Day 2021
04.22.2021
RESTORE OUR EARTHTM

vision EARTHDAY.ORG’s VISION FOR CHANGE
Our world needs transformational change. It’s time for the world to
hold sectors accountable for their role in our environmental crisis

while also calling for bold, creative, and innovative solutions.
This will require action at all levels, from business and investment to

city and national government.

That’s where you come in: As an individual, you wield real power and
influence as a consumer, a voter, and a member of a community that

can unite for change. Don’t underestimate your power.

history 1970 1 BILLION 75K +
PARTNERS
THE WORLD’S INDIVIDUALS
FIRST MOBILIZED WORKING
FOR THE FUTURE TO DRIVE
EARTH DAY OF THE PLANET POSITIVE ACTION

Every year on April 22, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the
birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.

Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting
support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, urban
dwellers and farmers, business and labor leaders. By the end of
1970, the first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States

Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of other
first-of-their-kind environmental laws, including the National
Environmental Education Act, the Occupational Safety and Health
Act, and the Clean Air Act. More environmental laws soon followed!

EARTHDAY.ORG

mission EARTHDAY.ORG’s MISSION IS TO DIVERSIFY,
EDUCATE, AND ACTIVATE

THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT WORLDWIDE.
Growing out of the first Earth Day (1970), EARTHDAY.ORG is
the world’s largest recruiter to the environmental movement,

working with more than 150,000 partners in nearly 192
countries to build environmental democracy. More than 1 billion
people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making

it the largest civic observance in the world.

Earth Week 2021
04.20 - 04.22

THE THREE DAYS OF CLIMATE ACTION

04.20 Global Youth Summit

04.21 Led by Earth Uprising, in collaboration with My Future My Voice,
04.22 OneMillionOfUs and hundreds of youth climate activists.

Panels, speeches, discussions, and special messages with today’s youth climate
activists including Greta Thunberg and more.

Global Education Summit

Education International will lead the Teach for the Planet: Global Education
Summit. The multilingual virtual summit is focused on the crucial role that
educators play in combating climate change and why we need transformative

climate education now

Earth Day Live

Parallel to the Biden administration’s global climate summit, EARTHDAY.
ORG will produce its second Earth Day Live digital event. Workshops, panel
discussions, and special performances will focus on Earth Day’s 2021 theme,

Restore Our Earth.

get involved!

earthday.org/earth-day-2021

EARTHDAY.ORG