Council members report recycling‑facility tour, urge clearer sorting: 'jars, jugs, bottles, tubs'

Members of the Shandaken Conservation Advisory Council described a June recycling tour and urged residents to follow the facility's accepted‑item guidance to reduce contamination. Committee member (S3) said the tour highlighted differences between single‑stream and double‑stream operations and showed large stockpiles of mixed material.

Committee member (S5), who reported language from the facility, summarized the practical rule for residents: "a tub, a jar, a bottle, a lid bigger than a tennis ball," clarified as jars, jugs, bottles and tubs. The council discussed that many small lids and common black takeout plastics are not recyclable and that some items are hand‑sorted on site by personnel (referred to as Jim), who tries to remove nonrecyclables from Ulster County bins.

Members said residual, unrecyclable material from the facility is currently being shipped to a landfill in Seneca Falls, and S5 warned the county is planning for future disposal as that landfill approaches capacity. Council members also discussed that while downstream sorting matters, upstream decisions such as packaging choices and restaurant practices affect recycling outcomes. S5 said she joined a working group with Ulster County legislators and the Department of Environment to help restaurants reduce nonrecyclable takeout plastics over the next five months.

The council recommended that residents follow the facility's guidance to improve the county recycling rate and reduce contamination. The meeting discussion included a reported recycling percentage cited informally at about 56% for certain material streams; council members emphasized that following clear local guidance will give the facility cleaner volumes and improve marketability.