Recycling 101: What’s In, What’s Out, and Why

What’s the deal with recycling? Confusion about what’s acceptable, doubts about where it all goes and whether costs outweigh benefits are questions we literally can’t afford to leave unanswered. With our municipal budgets stretched to the max and the effects of climate change looming large, it’s critical for us to understand the proper way to recycle in New Canaan–and the cost to each of us when we get it wrong. Join our team of local recycling and waste management professionals for straight talk on the “how” and “why” of recycling in our town.

Our own Tiger Mann, Director of New Canaan Public Works, will be joined by Jennifer Heaton-Jones, Executive Director of the Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority, and Jay Greco and Patricia Swope from City Carting to give us everything we need to get recycling right. What can and can’t be recycled? How does recycling get contaminated and what are the consequences to our budget? Who (individual, hauler, Town) is responsible for what? How does the Transfer Station work? Where are the markets for recycled materials? PLUS a fun live demonstration of what’s in/out, with Tiger Mann! There will be time for specific questions and answers at the end.