Recycle

Overview

Recycling is the process of collecting and processing materials (that would otherwise be thrown away as trash) and remanufacturing them into new products (US EPA). This sustainable practice helps conserve natural resources, reduce energy consumption, and minimize environmental impacts, making it a crucial element in our efforts to protect the planet. 

What is Wish-Cycling?

When it rains, look for rainbows. When it's dark, look for stars. And when in the dark about recycling, use the Recycle CT wizard.

Wish-cycling is a term used to describe when people put items in the recycling bin without knowing if they're actually recyclable. This leads to problems like safety hazards for workers, as well as contamination and higher costs in the recycling process.

A couple of commonly miss-recycled items:

  • Plastic bags and plastic film can NOT be recycled in your blue bin. These items will tangle the equipment at the recycling sorting facility. Check out the Plastic Bags & Plastic Film section of this webpage to learn what you can do to recycle these items.
  • Pizza boxes CAN be recycled, as long as the food residue is removed. (A little grease is okay.) The liner in the box should go into the trash.
  • Do NOT put plastic items that are smaller than 2"x2" in your blue bin. (For reference, the short side of your license or credit card is 2 inches.) This is the size of the screen used at the sorting facility where the crushed glass falls through. We don't want to mix plastic in with the glass!

To avoid wish-cycling, check out our FAQ section or use the search wizard on RecycleCT's webpage, and when in doubt, throw it out!

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Residential Recycling Collection

The Town of Manchester offers curbside collection of single-stream recycling to many of its residents. Curbside recycling promotes sustainability, reduces landfill waste, and encourages environmentally responsible practices within our community. The hauler for the Town of Manchester is All American Waste. Check out this short clip by All American Waste to learn about the hauling process!

 

To view other video by All American Waste, including videos of their recycling sorting facility, visit their YouTube Channel.

All American Waste YouTube Channel

To learn more about residential curbside collection in Manchester, check out our webpage!

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Residential Recycling Collection

Recycling at the Transfer Station

Transfer Station

What you'll find when you visit the Manchester Transfer Station is that nearly the entire right side is dedicated to recycling! Check out the StoryMap on the Transfer Station's webpage to find out what items can be recycled there.

Manchester Transfer Station

Recycling Food Scraps

Composting food scraps

Did you know that composting is considered a form of recycling? There are many ways you can recycle your food scraps into compost, be it at your own home or through one of Manchester's Food-Waste-to-Compost Programs. To learn more, check out our Residential Food Waste page!

Residential Food Waste

Private Recycling Drop-off Programs

Some local businesses accept specific items for recycling at no cost, such as plastic bags and plastic film, electronic waste, and printer ink and toner cartridges.

Plastic Bags & Plastic Film

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Plastic bags and plastic film DO NOT belong in single-stream recycling because they can get caught in the sorting equipment. To recycle your plastic bags and plastic film, visit a drop-off location nearest you.

Not sure where to go? Trex is a company that recycles plastic bags and plastic film into composite decking through their NexTrex program. You can participate in the NexTex program by dropping off your plastic bags and plastic film at one of their participating retail chains in Connecticut:

  • Acme
  • Big Y
  • Kohl's
  • Ocean State Job Lot
  • Price Chopper
  • Stop & shop
  • Whole Foods

NexTrex Recycling Program

Not sure what they accept? Check out this video or visit their website for more information.

Electronic Waste & Printer Ink/Toner Cartridges

Electronic Waste

Printer ink and toner cartridges are often collected at the same places that accept electronic waste. While you can recycle these items at the Manchester Transfer Station, you can also drop them off at the locations listed below. Make sure to first check the program's webpage to confirm that they accept the items you are looking to recycle.

Best Buy (Manchester)

Staples (Glastonbury/Vernon)

Green Monster eRecycling (West Hartford)

Planet Green Recycle (Free Mail-In)

Frequently Asked Questions