Policy 3513.2

Business/Non-Instructional Operations

Recycling Program

The Board of Education recognizes the need to comply with the Mandatory Recycling Act. 

State of Connecticut law requires that everyone including schools recycle the following: 
Additionally, grass clippings have been banned from disposal facilities.  Grass cutting operations should incorporate mulching blades on equipment to recycle clippings to earth. 

Administrators of all school district facilities shall establish procedures for collecting recyclable materials.  Annually, administration shall send out a letter to staff to remind them of the mandate to recycle along with instructions to properly apply recycling methods. 

The Director of Operations shall establish procedures for collecting and disposing of recyclable materials for the school district. 

Legal Reference:    Connecticut General Statutes
Policy adopted: April 4, 2017   
NEWTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, Newtown, Connecticut

Appendix A
NEWTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
NEWTOWN, CONNECTICUT

Date:    (this memo shall be issued annually to Staff) 
To:    All School District Employees 
Re:    RECYCLING REQUIREMENTS 

In Connecticut, recycling is state law.  In accordance with the Mandatory Recycling Act, Connecticut schools must recycle right along with other municipal agencies, residents and businesses.  This act has been in effect since January 1, 1991. 

All of our buildings have the necessary bins, barrels and other containers to make recycling a simple and painless process for all employees. 

We ask that you read the attached information that is provided from the State Department of Environmental Protection as it pertains to recycling.  Many of the questions you may have can be answered by simply visiting the State DEEP website at:  http://www.ct.gov/deep/site 

Please be sure to do your part in helping with waste reduction costs, helping the environment and to comply with the law. 

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation regarding this matter. 

Sincerely, 


Superintendent of Schools                     Director of Operations

Attachments
pc: Board Members 


Appendix B
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
Reduce/Reuse/Recycle
At School

State of Connecticut law requires that everyone including schools recycle the following:
Many resources are available to schools to develop, improve and publicize their programs. Teachers should, also look under Grade School Recycling Resources (K-12) and Connecticut Recycles Day to learn more about DEEP’s many offerings. 
If you have further questions, please contact the CT DEEP Recycling Program at (860) 424-3366. 


Appendix C
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Recycling Program FAQ

Who is required to recycle? 

Everyone!  The Mandatory Recycling Act went into effect in Connecticut on January 1, 1991.  It applies to every business, every household, every institution and every government agency.

What items do I have to recycle? 

Everyone in the state is required to recycle the following items: glass, food and beverage containers; metal food and beverage containers; plastic containers; newspapers; magazines; corrugated cardboard; boxboard; leaves; scrap metal; waste oil; lead-acid batteries; white office paper; grass clippings and nickel-cadmium batteries. 

Although some towns provide trash and recycling service to small multi-family residences (2 or 
3 apartments), most apartment buildings, condo associations and businesses contract directly with a trash hauler to provide trash and recycling service.  The law requires “source separation.” This means that you must separate the recyclables from the trash where they are generated. Your hauler cannot separate them later if they have been mixed with trash. 

Are schools required to recycle? 

Yes!  Both public and private schools are required to recycle all of the items listed in #2 above. Schools also have a special obligation as educational institutions to practice the environmental ethics they teach and enable students to recycle at school just as they do at home. 

Why do different towns collect different items in their recycling programs? 

In Connecticut, most of our recyclables are sent to one of six intermediate processing centers where they are prepared for marketing to businesses that will transform them into new products. Some of these centers accept non-mandated items because they have found a suitable market.  For example, the Hartford recycling center accepts magazines and catalogues along with newsprint because the newspaper mill that they ship to uses this mix to produce new newsprint. Some of the other centers have contracts with older mills that are only designed to use pure newsprint to produce their product. 

What happens to my trash? 

Most of Connecticut’s residentially-generated trash is sent to one of six Connecticut resource recovery facilities.  These plants burn the trash as a fuel to generate electricity.  The resulting ash is buried in specially designed lined landfills.  All of these plants have modern pollution controls to reduce air produced from the combustion process. 

Why aren’t all plastics recyclable, after all, they are all stamped with the chasing arrows symbol? 

The plastic container code identifies the seven thermoplastic resins by a number & an abbreviation.  The code does not denote recyclability; it merely identifies each resin by its chemical composition.  The plastic industry designed the code, hoping that all plastics would ultimately be recycled. Because additional viable recycling markets for plastic containers #3 through #7 are beginning to emerge, many Connecticut towns now have the programs to recycle those types of containers. Check with your municipal recycling contact to see if your municipality has such a program. If your municipality or waste hauler does not provide for recycling plastics 3-7, you can check the additional options to recycle these plastics on the State DEEP website at: http://www.ct.gov/deep/site.

Who do I call to get a recycling bin and find out what is recycled in my town? 

Contact your municipal recycling coordinator, town hall or local Department of Public Works. Many towns also have websites that can provide you with information. 

Why aren’t sports drinks, bottled water, single-serve juices and teas covered under the bottle deposit law? 

The “bottle bill” predates curbside recycling in Connecticut by about 10 years.  When most bottle bills were passed in the late 70s and early 80s many of these sports drinks and teas were not on the market.  Carbonated beverages were targeted as they were often consumed away from home and presented a litter problem at parks, beaches and roadways.  Giving the containers a monetary value made it more likely that someone would take this item back to the store for recycling. Although the legislature considers expanding the bottle bill almost every session, the proponents of the legislation have yet to be successful.

How much trash does a typical household generate? 

In Connecticut we dispose of about 4 pounds of trash per resident, per day, and recycle the rest. That means that each of us is sending about 3/4 ton of trash to be burned or buried each year. 

I’m moving and I need to get rid of my household hazardous waste.  What should I do? 

Most communities in Connecticut offer at least one opportunity a year to their residents to dispose of hazardous items that they have in their home.  These collections usually take place in the spring or fall.  Some communities share the cost of providing a permanent site that offers weekly collection in the spring and fall to residents of participating towns.  Because the material is hazardous, a licensed contractor must be hired to collect and dispose of this material properly. This is expensive, so municipalities cannot provide unlimited opportunities for collection.  Check the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Schedule to find out the next available opportunity to properly dispose of this material in your area. Don’t wait until a few days before you move as there may not be service available at that time. 

Why can’t I throw grass clippings in the trash? 

The best thing to do with grass clippings is to leave them on the lawn.  Grass clippings are mostly water and can provide needed moisture to your lawn.  Other options are composting clippings along with other organics such as leaves or using them as garden mulch to keep down weeds.  Because grass clippings are heavy and wet, they are expensive to collect and are unsuitable for disposal at a resource recovery facility because they compromise the combustion process.  Some towns are allowed to compost grass with leaves, but collecting and managing grass this way is very expensive for your town. 

What do I do with plastic bags? 

Plastic bags should never be put in curbside recycling bins because they can jam equipment at the Intermediate Processing Centers that prepare recyclables to be marketed.  However, a number of grocery store chains in Connecticut do have collection bins for plastic bags at their stores.  Most of these bags are sent to the manufacturer of a recycled composite lumber that is used for outdoor decking.  Contact your local store to see if they collect bags, or, if they do not, ask them to start a program.  Better yet bring reusable cloth bags with you when you go shopping. 

What should I do if I see my trash hauler mixing trash and recyclables? 

Unless your hauler has a split truck (most do not) your trash and recyclables should be picked up separately.  If you see someone mixing trash and recyclables, call your town hall and ask to speak to your local recycling coordinator or call the DEEP at (860) 424-3365 and file a complaint. 

Why does recycling cost money? 

Recyclables must be collected and then processed and shipped to companies that can use them as raw materials to make new products.  Each step of the process has an associated cost.  Revenues for recycled materials, which fluctuate like the price of any other raw material, do not always cover the processing costs.  Landfilling and resource recovery also have associated costs, which are often higher than the cost to recycle.  These other methods of managing our waste do not provide any of the environmental benefits that recycling provides.  When we make new products from recycled material, we save energy, prevent pollution, reduce air emissions, save natural resources and reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. However you look at it, recycling is quite a bargain. 

How can I help promote recycling? 

Get involved in Connecticut Recycles Day by coordinating an event in your town.  Connecticut Recycles Day takes place every year on November 15.  For more information, visit the Connecticut Recycles Day website.