Recycling a Carload of Materials Locally

This week, we had recycling day at the Peoples Bicycle. That means I get to fill my little Honda Fit with as much stuff as I can, and then take a photo to commemorate the occasion. Really.

More can fit in the Fit than this!

Destinations? A&W Scrap in Wappingers Falls, and the City of Beacon Transfer Station. I had a bucket of steel scrap, a bucket with just a bit of aluminum scrap, 2 beat up steel bike frames, and an assortment of destroyed wheels and handlebars. I also had a large amount of cardboard/paper and comingled (plastic and aluminum) recyclables.

I must admit that I love visiting A&W. The car gets weighed before the drive through the fields of propane tanks, crushed cars, and metal objects of every variety. It's like a huge playground, except the bikes are more like hydraulic cranes, and the piles of rocks are really hulking piles of twisted metal.

 

No one seems to mind answering my questions about how the business works, or my concern about driving through deep mud puddles to get to the right place to unload. It probably doesn't hurt that I'm one of few women to go there. In my 5 visits, I haven't seen another woman. But don't let that deter you from visiting, ladies! Everyone is really nice, even though I'm sure it's a tough & tiring job. 

 

For my metal cargo, I got $28. That's good for another set of wheels! I went onward to Beacon's transfer station to drop off the rest. The current hours there are 7:30 am -2:30 pm, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The accepted materials are plastics #1,2,3,5,7 and 9 (just look for the little number on the package), paper, metal, cardboard, compost, and garbage. Everything has its place, and if it doesn't look like it does, you can always ask. Here's some shots I took on that sunny winter day.

 

 

If you have any questions, be sure to call the Transfer Station at (845) 831-4390, or visit the City's Garbage and Recycling website. 

If you're looking to get rid of broken electronics, CFL light bulbs, lead-based paints, chemicals, batteries, medications and more, there is a great resource in Dutchess County. It's called the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day, and the next one is on April 2. Learn more and register on the DCRRA site. We'll have a lot more info on this in the coming weeks as we spread the word about the collection day just in time for spring cleaning.