Prevent Waste
Drink tap instead of bottled water, which would save Americans about $8 billion per year. It would also help prevent plastic waste: Sixty million water bottles are thrown away EACH DAY in the US. Tap water is also more strictly regulated than bottled water.
Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
Do materials for recycling need to be washed clean?
Not the way you would wash dishes. A quick rinse is sufficient for most materials. For stubborn containers like peanut butter and oil, a soak in the sink over night typically does the trick. The rinse is more for your own sake, in not attracting pests to your home.
What materials need to be separated?
Only paper should be separated from other materials. Plastic, cans, and glass can be mixed together.
Where can I get a recycling bin?
At the front desk of the public works office on Morgnec Road:
Kent County Public Works Office
709 Morgnec Rd.
Chestertown, MD 21620
410-778-7448
Or at Town Hall on Cross Street.
For the Washington College community, buildings and grounds are happy to provide bins. Please call Shannon at 410-810-7162 for a bin.
Paper and Cardboard
What types of paper can be recycled?
White paper, colored paper, magazines, catalogs, phone books, office paper, shredded paper, newspaper, junk mail, envelopes with windows. Also, you can now recycle cereal board or paper board such as cereal boxes, shoe boxes, toilet paper and paper towel rolls, snack/food boxes and soda/beer cartons. These items need to be flattened and placed with mixed paper in paper bags or bundled and secured with a string.
NO: paper towels, napkins, contaminated paper, books
Do you need to separate newspapers?
YES, Newspaper must be placed in a paper bag or bundled and tied with a string. Keep separate from mixed paper. DO NOT PLACE IN PLASTIC BAGS.
How should paper go in the bin?
Mixed paper should be placed in paper bags or bundled and tied with a string. Separate newspaper from mixed paper and paperboard. DO NOT PLACE IN PLASTIC BAGS.
What kinds of cardboard can be recycled?
Corrugated cardboard. Contaminated cardboard like pizza boxes will not be accepted. Milk cartons or other coated cardboards and egg cartons can NOT be accepted.
NO PACKING PEANUTS, STYROFOAM OR OTHER TYPES OF PACKING MATERIALS.
What if paper gets wet?
Kent County recommends covering your bin with a tarp or plastic trash bag BUT DO NOT PLACE PAPER IN PLASTIC BAGS. Wet paper will not be picked up.
Can paper envelopes with windows be recycled?
Yes.
Where does paper recycling go?
Creafill Fibers Corp., Worton, MD. Newspaper goes to Dixon Valve in Chestertown.
Plastics
What types of plastic can be recycled?
All clean plastic with a #1 or #2 on the bottom can be recycled. These are PET and HDPE. This includes soda bottles, laundry detergent bottles, most plastic jars. DO NOT include caps. Also, don’t recycle solvent, oil, and chemical containers, such as those that held motor oil.
Plastic bags, #4 LDPE, can be recycled at Acme and Superfresh.
What kinds of plastic can NOT be recycled in Kent County?
#3, 4, 5, 6 and 7- everything else! This includes packaging, yogurt and cream cheese containers, styrofoam and other plastic take out containers, plastic cups, forks and other dinnerware. Plastic lids (from jars, bottles, etc) usually do not have a number on the bottom and cannot be recycled.
What happens to plastic that get recycled?
Plastic bottles (PET) are recycled into carpet and fiberfill, the polyester material inside most down jackets, sleeping bags, and the like. It is shredded and melted to form new materials. HDPE bottles are made into things like flower pots and trash cans. However, FDA law prevents anything except virgin (new) plastic from being used in food container bottles, made directly from petroleum, so avoid buying plastic if possible!
Glass and Metal
What kinds of glass can be recycled?
Clear, brown, blue and green bottles and jars, but NOT mason jars, drinking glasses, pyrex or other bakeware, dishes, lightbulbs, windows, mirrors, or other household glass. Broken glass should NOT be put in the bins.
What kinds of metal can be recycled?
Aluminum and tin cans, preferably with the paper removed. CLEAN aluminum foil can also be recycled. Don’t recycle anything that held paint, solvent, or paint thinner. No cookware, flatware, pots or pans.
Can scrap metal be recycled?
Yes, check out the waste disposal page for more information.
For further questions, contact Marty Holden at 410-778-7448. Remember, curbside in Kent County is free! Bins go out Thursday nights.
