For details about the household hazardous waste collection, backyard composting, and information about buying a backyard compost bin, click here to read and/or print out a Plymouth-specific 2022 newsletter.
Please contact A.B.L.E. Waste Management for more information on waste and recycling collections.
ELECTRONICS
Vermont residents can take unwanted electronics (e-waste) to any participating location. The closest site to Plymouth is the Ludlow Transfer Station which will accept computers, monitors, peripherals, printers, and TVs for free. The Ludlow Transfer Station will accept only these items from Plymouth residents. Most televisions and computer monitors contain an average of four pounds of lead in addition to cadmium, mercury,and other heavy metals used in the circuit boards. Exposure to these elements can lead to serious health problems, which is why proper disposal of electronics is important. By law, computers, monitors, peripherals, printers, and TVs are recycled for free for Vermont households, businesses with up to ten employees, charities, and school districts.
TEXTILES
Black River Good Neighbors runs a thrift store in Ludlow that accepts clothing and linens for re-sale and recycling. Click here for details and hours of operation.
Bag and Bring:
- Clean and Dry Clothing: all types, including ripped, stained, and out-of-fashion
- Shoes – bagged separately from clothing
- Clean and Dry Linens: blankets, sheets, towels, curtains (including ripped or stained)
- Belts, Purses, Hats, Mittens, Coats, Socks, Stuffed Animals
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Effective January 1, 2007 it is illegal to use a lead sinker which weighs one-half ounce or less to fish in Vermont. Lead sinkers go in with scrap metal.
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BATTERIES
Button batteries (in hearing aids, watches, calculators, cameras, etc.) contain mercury and must be recycled.
Rechargeables are recyclable. Rechargeable batteries are commonly found in cordless power tools, cellular and cordless phones, laptop computers, camcorders, remote control toys, and portable household appliances. When the batteries can no longer hold a charge, they need to be recycled (separately from other recycling).
FLUORESCENT TUBES and BULBS
All fluorescent tubes and bulbs (full-size and compact) contain mercury and must be recycled. FREEfluorescent bulb recycling at Woodstock Home and Hardware in Woodstock. Free compact fluorescent bulb recycling at the Aubuchon Hardware store in Ludlow.
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Buy and sell used materials at great prices by visiting the Reuse Marketplace website at www.reusemarketplace.org. RM is a free service that seeks to reduce waste by promoting the exchange of reusable commercial materials.
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PAINT
Empty/dry metal paint cans can be recycled with scrap metal. Latex, as well as oil-based paint, is now accepted at the District’s annual household hazardous waste collections.
In addition, several retailers in the District accept paint year-round (for free) at the following locations:
- Aubuchon Hardware in Ludlow
- LaValley Building Supply in Ludlow
- Bibens Home Center in Springfield
- Sherwin-Williams in Springfield
- Aubuchon Hardware in Windsor
These retailers only accept paint in labeled, non-rusty cans. Bring all other cans to a household hazardous waste collection.
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To receive less national advertising mail, the Direct Mail Association has a program called DMAchoice. To register, click on the DMA website. The organization will charge a small fee to place your name and home address in a “do-not-mail” file for a number of years.
CatalogChoice is a great way to cut down on unwanted catalogs that show up in your mailbox. Click on www.catalogchoice.org to find out more information.
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EYEWEAR
The non-profit Ludlow Lions Club collects used eyeglasses and hearing aids for distribution to the needy in developing nations. All types of eyeglasses and sunglasses, prescription and non-prescription, are acceptable. Reading glasses, too. No eyeglass cases. There is a collection box inside the front door of Java Baba’s Slow Food Cafe in Ludlow.
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COMPOST BINS
Tired of paying to dispose of all of your kitchen scraps? Compost those kitchen scraps in your own backyard. Each spring, through the Solid Waste District, you can purchase your own compost bin and how-to guide at less than half of the retail price. Need additional incentives? Organics rotting in landfills add to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming and all Vermont residents will have to divert food scraps from the trash by July 1, 2020.
Call 674-9235 for more info.
Open Burning
Although Plymouth does not have an open burning ordinance, the State does and the District encourages residents not to use burn barrels to get rid of garbage. Decades ago, most trash consisted of only paper, cardboard, and glass. Today, however, manufacturers use a host of synthetics in packaging, most of which release carcinogenic toxins into the air and soil when burned. Please do your part to protect Vermont’s public and environmental health from toxins; talk to your neighbors about the dangers associated with burning trash.
Household Hazardous Waste
Your Solid Waste District sponsors FREE events annually for the collection and safe disposal of HHW. Residents and businesses from all member towns may participate. Businesses will be charged a fee and must pre-register. No pre-registration required for residents. Call 674-9235 for more info.
What to bring: Most substances with labels that say: Caustic, Toxic, Corrosive, Poison, Flammable, Warning
From the Garden/Yard/House: insecticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, rodent killer, metal polish, pool chemicals, photography chemicals, flea powder, no-pest strips, toilet & drain cleaner, oven cleaner, mothballs, lighter fluid, bathroom cleaners, chemistry sets, arts & crafts supplies, bleaches, mercury thermometers & thermostats, rug cleaner.
From the Garage/Workbench: antifreeze, brake fluid, gasoline, transmission fluid, engine & radiator flusher, engine degreaser, carburetor cleaner, gas treatments, Xenon halogen headlight bulbs (blue-tinted), plastic fuel filters, rust proofers, wood preservatives, sealants, solvents, creosote, roofing tar, driveway sealer, muriatic acid, varnish, paint thinner, wood strippers and stains, latex, lead- and oil-based paints. Properly drained metal fuel filters can be recycled with scrap metal.
DO NOT bring: fluorescent bulbs or tubes, batteries, used motor oil, dry creosote, asbestos, radioactive material, empty containers, fireworks, tires, medical waste, or ammunition.