Recycling

Recycling In Chittenden County

Anyone living or conducting business in Chittenden County has many recycling options available.

CSWD provides up to 3 free recycling bins for all Chittenden County residents and one free bin per employee (up to 50) for businesses. See our recycling bins page for more info.

What To Recycle

Mandatory (aka “blue-bin” or “all-in-one”) recyclables – The CSWD Ordinance requires that every resident, business and institution in Chittenden County separate these items from the trash for recycling. All of these items can go together in your blue bin:

Glass bottles & jars (food and beverage containers only)
Metal food and beverage cans and aluminum
Plastic containers and packaging labeled 1 through 7 (but not plastic bags, plastic wrapping or Styrofoam)
Mixed paper, including cardboard

Any items that are banned from landfills, meaning it is illegal to dispose of them in your trash. These items may be brought to CSWD facilities for recycling.

Many other items that can’t go in your blue bin can be recycled locally, often for free. Go to our A-Z List for specific disposal options for just about anything.

How To Recycle

Residents
All Chittenden County residents are welcome to bring their trash and recyclables to any CSWD Drop-Off Center.

For curbside pickup, if you live in:

Burlington: The Burlington Department of Public Works (802-863-9094) picks up residential recyclables (but not trash). See the Burlington Public Works FAQ page for their pickup schedule by day of the week and by street.
Westford: The Town contracts with a private company to pick up trash and recyclables. Call the Westford Town Office for details: 802-878-4587.
All other towns: Contract with a private hauler if you want curbside collection of recyclables and trash at your home.

Businesses
All businesses must contract with a private hauler for trash and recycling pickup, or haul their trash and recycling themselves.

Businesses that do not contract with a private hauler for recycling pickup along with their trash must submit a Recycling Service Exemption Form to CSWD.
Bring recycling loads greater than one cubic yard to the CSWD Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).
Bring loads of less than one cubic yard of recycling to a CSWD Drop-Off Center.

Just For Fun

Use this EPA widget, based on the WARM model for estimating energy and greenhouse gas emissions reductions achieved through recycling, to calculate the energy you could save by recycling the items listed.

Recycling Resources Quick Reference

CSWD Drop-Off Centers
CSWD Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) (large loads of recyclables)
CSWD Environmental Depot (hazardous waste)
Green Mountain Compost (compostables)
CSWD Solid Waste Management Ordinance (pdf)
Private trash and recycling haulers
Understanding plastic recycling symbols
Recycling and composting at special events