Recycling: Follow these Centre County recycling tips in 2025

Happy New Year! I thought this would be a good time to go over some general recycling reminders/tips. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have about recycling in Centre County.

Please do not leave items outside of recycling drop-off containers

This one is very important so I wanted to start with it. Too often our drivers will have to spend time cleaning the area around the drop-off recycling containers. Residents leave recyclables sitting outside of the containers if they are full or appear to be full. This causes others to do the same until there is a pile of items surrounding the container. We really do try our best to keep our containers empty so this won’t continue to happen. If you notice a bin is full and items are left outside, give our office a call or send us an email and we will get to it ASAP!

Fluorescent tubes from households can be recycled in April

“Households” is the key word here. We do accept long, fluorescent tubes for recycling at no charge every year during our annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection event. This year’s event will be held on Friday and Saturday, April 25-26. Additional information about this event can be found on our website www.centrecountyrecycles.org. We cannot accept fluorescent tubes from businesses at our event, so other alternatives should be explored.

Paper items should be bagged or bundled for curbside collection

We really do try to make recycling easy. Plastic bottles, jugs and jars, metal cans and glass bottles can all be placed in curbside recycling bins with no sorting whatsoever. Paper, however, is a different story. All mixed paper, newspaper, paperboard, office paper, magazines, etc., should be bagged or bundled together and placed in your curbside recycling bin. Bagging/bundling paper prevents litter and facilitates collection. Corrugated cardboard should be flattened and placed next to or under your recycling bin.

To ensure collection, make sure your curbside recycling bin is out by 7 a.m.

Our crews start each day at 7 a.m. sharp, and if your house is the first house on route, it will be picked up at 7 a.m. I try to get my bin outside the night before collection if I can because I know I am one of the first houses on route on Fridays.

Recycling information is plentiful and available

If you are not sure about which items are recyclable in our program, we are here to help. We offer recycling guides for residents, schools and businesses. Our website, www.centrecountyrecycles.org, is full of information. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Check out our new Recycle Coach app and utilize many of its amazing features (download it free from the app store). Sign up for our monthly emails (contact me at aschirf@centrecountyrecycles.org to get on that list).

I appreciate all of you who take time to read my column each month. And as always, thank you for recycling!