The Town of Guilderland announced on Tuesday, April 20 that it would be expanding its recycling program to include plastics in categories four through seven. Previously, the town only recycled plastics in categories one through three.
According to Town Supervisor Ken Runion, some of the most common types of materials that fall within the four through seven categories are drinking cups, yogurt containers, butter containers and prescription pill bottles. These items will now join soda bottles, milk jugs, detergent bottles, and other plastics that have been recycled by the town since the inception of its recycling program.
According to information from the town, the category that a plastic container falls under can be seen imprinted on the bottom of the container in the center of the recycling symbol.
We are asking al residents to do their part and begin recycling all items in the expanded group of plastics, said Runion, in a statement. `Through this increased recycling we will reduce landfill waste and make significant progress in preserving and protecting our environment for future generations and ourselves.`
Runion said that by including the additional classifications of plastic in the town’s recycling program the town now recycles the vast majority of plastic waste.
Tim Spawn, superintendent of the town’s transfer station, said that the recycling of the additional plastic waste will not incur any additional cost to the town and that the additional plastics will not need to be separated from plastic in categories one through three.
He said the main reason for expanding the program is changes in the market for plastic in categories four through seven. `There was never a market for four through seven, and now there is,` he said.
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