Learning about recycling, the do's and don'ts for Warren Co. residents

QUEENSBURY | Do you know where your recyclables go when you drop them at the transfer station, or put them out on the street? Chances are they go to Casella Waste's Material Recycling Facility (MRF) in Halfmoon, where much of the local single-stream recyclable material is separated and prepared to be shipped to businesses that convert it to new products. Warren County Solid Waste & Recycling Compliance Coordinator Scott Royael, additional staff from Warren County Department of Public Works, Crandall Public Library and Zero Waste Warren County, toured the Casella facility recently to learn more about the recycling process, the do's and don'ts, as Warren County looks to streamline and improve local recycling and solid waste practices. Warren County began hauling waste and recyclables from town-operated transfer stations in 2025, which has allowed the county Department of Public Works to draw conclusions about areas for improvement in some communities and ways to maximize revenue from recycling. What makes up our local recyclable stream? According to Casella, based on weight, 35 percent or so is cardboard, 30 percent paper, 18 percent glass, 5 percent plastic and 2 percent steel, such as tin cans. (That does not include returnable aluminum cans). The remainder is miscellaneous materials. The sorting machines at the Casella MRF use cameras and artificial intelligence to improve the sorting process for the 200 tons a day of materials the facility processes. Several common errors lead to big problems at recycling facilities, and create fire risks or contaminate the recycling stream: -Lithium-ion batteries are not recyclable with household recyclables and are a fire hazard when mishandled, which leads to fires at recycling plants. They are found in many electronic devices, but the biggest hazard is in greeting cards that play music or have lights. Do not recycle the paper before removing the battery. -Plastic bags, Saran wrap or other films also gum up recycling machines. Bags are recyclable through programs at stores, but not in the single-stream recycling at your home or transfer station. -Plastic straps and garden hoses are not recyclable through single-stream recycling, and they also wreak havoc on sorting machines. "The more we can reduce contamination, the better it is," explained Andrea Calarco, Casella's Strategic Alliance Manager. "We had a major fire a couple of weeks ago that we believe was caused by a lithium-ion battery in a greeting card." Warren County is studying successful systems and learning from regional partners. Warren County staff and a member of Zero Waste Warren County also recently visited the North Elba Transfer Station, where officials have successfully baled and marketed recyclables for more than 20 years (Warren County towns currently pays $95/ton plus hauling to have material from transfer stations recycled). The visit offered valuable insight into how source-separated recycling systems can improve material quality, reduce contamination, and potentially create additional revenue opportunities for municipalities. Questions about whether an item is recyclable or trash? Zero Waste Warren County has compiled a handy pamphlet that details where materials can be taken, which can be found along with other resources on the Warren County DPW website.

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Learning about recycling, the do's and don'ts for Warren Co. residents

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