Recycling 101

Above: A look at what can be recycled in town and how. (image from the state’s recycling website)

[Editor’s Note: In keeping with the ecological theme today, I’m sharing intern Maggie Fitzgerald’s post on recycling in Southborough.]

With many working on spring cleaning, it’s a good time to be reminded of local recycling processes and what is or isn’t recyclable, as well as local organizations accepting donated items

In Massachusetts, all recycled materials go to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). The state has nine MRFs, with Southborough’s recycling going to E.L. Harvey & Sons MRF in Hopkinton. 

MRFs play a pivotal role in the state’s recycling ecosystem. These facilities serve as the backbone of the recycling process, where recyclable materials collected from homes, businesses, and institutions are sorted, processed, and prepared for resale to manufacturers.

MRFs in Massachusetts employ advanced sorting technologies to efficiently separate different types of recyclables, including paper, cardboard, plastics, glass, and metals. These facilities utilize a combination of conveyor belts, optical sorting systems, magnets, and manual labor to segregate materials based on their composition and recyclability.

However, this process is streamlined through communities separating their recycling, such as the material-designated bins found at the Southborough Transfer Station.

While any effort to recycle can make a positive impact on our community and ensure higher usage of post-consumer materials, it is also important to recognize what can and cannot be recycled. 

Compiled below is a general go-to guide, however this changes over-time and by municipality. You can find a comprehensive and interactive directory of what is and isn’t recyclable here. 

Recycle

• Redeemable uncrushed cans and bottles (in a separate cage at the Transfer Station)
• Hard plastics such as bottles and jugs
• Glass – however it is important to separate from plastics at the Transfer Station
• Metal cans & containers
• Cardboard
• Paper & newspaper

Do Not Recycle

• Soft plastics such as plastic bags and wraps. (Some stores have bins to accept used shopping bags for recycling.)
• Paper milk cartons (In some communities, these are recyclable. A list of towns where milk cartons are acceptable can be found here)
• Odd-shaped plastic such as toys, laundry baskets, or patio furniture
• Styrofoam
• Material with considerable food residue. One common misconception is that pizza boxes with grease stains cannot be recycled, however in Massachusetts this is incorrect.

Additionally, Southborough hosts a variety of options to donate goods that could serve another family.

The Swap Shop, located at the back of the Southborough Transfer Station is a good spot for an encompassing range of goods, with additional options for more specific materials.

Collection Drives — Southborough business Rio Medical has recently begun a donation campaign, collecting used goods for a host of local organizations. In exchange for a donation, you are entered in a monthly drawing to win a free facial. More information about the Rio Medical drive can be found here

Textile Bins — At all public schools in Southborough, there are SOS (Southborough Organization for Schools) collection bins for textiles- those in shape for re-use as well as those to be recycled. Donating items through this program helps SOS to earn rebates, and in turn help support our schools. Algonquin also has a bin that supports the APTO (Algonquin Parent Teacher Organization).

Further, Southborough’s Transfer Station is also home to Goodwill donation bins, where clothing items in proper condition for resale may be deposited.

More information about SOS donation collection and Goodwill bins is located here