Chester County details recycling tips and lists items for April 11 hazardous‑waste collection

Morgan Turley, Chester County Communications Officer, and Aaron Raivis, the county Recycling Coordinator, urged residents to rinse and sort materials correctly and announced a free household hazardous‑waste collection on Saturday, April 11, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the backside of the Roddy Complex.

Turley said county staff will post a flyer with event details on the Chester County website and social media and will provide printed copies at the county building.

"When in doubt, rinse them out," said Aaron Raivis, Recycling Coordinator, advising residents to clean food and beverage canisters to reduce contamination during processing. He said intact glass is recyclable but "if it's kind of already broken and gnarly" residents should discard it to avoid injuring handlers.

Raivis explained that many to‑go containers carry the Mobius triangle (the recycling symbol) with a number that identifies the plastic type and that a percentage on packaging indicates how much recycled content was used to make the product. He also recommended reuse and repurposing where possible, calling reuse "a big part" of local recycling practices.

The county does not accept plastic bags in curbside recycling, Raivis said, because they "get caught in the machinery at the processor" and can cause shutdowns. He encouraged residents to return bags to grocery or big‑box store collection bins.

On handling metal containers, Raivis advised residents not to crush aluminum cans before recycling: "They like things in the shape that they come in," he said, so processors' feeders and pick lines can distinguish and sort items more easily.

Turley and Raivis also urged composting of food scraps and spoiled produce rather than placing them in recycling streams. Raivis noted that Styrofoam is not recyclable in Chester County and should be disposed of as trash.

The county's semi‑annual hazardous‑waste collection will accept: paint and paint‑related materials (varnishes, polishes, turpentine), aerosol cans, adhesives, motor oil, antifreeze, fuel additives, automobile batteries (including lithium), mercury‑containing items, pesticides, electronics, transmission fluid, pool chemicals and fluorescent bulbs. "We also accept unwanted medication — there's a sheriff on site so you don't have to remove identifying information," Raivis said, describing secure disposal procedures.

Turley said the program is free and organized by the county Public Works Department; she credited Erin (county staff) with managing event logistics. Organizers asked residents not to bring 55‑gallon drums of a single material to preserve space on hauling trucks and said they will not accept cylinders, medical waste, bullets, explosives, radioactive material or commercial/industrial waste. Residents with excluded materials were advised to contact county staff for guidance.

The hosts closed by reminding viewers this is part two of a four‑part series on recycling for April and saying future episodes will cover ways residents can get involved and county recycling initiatives.

The county will post event details and the flyer on its website and social media; residents seeking more information were told to contact the county communications office or Public Works.