Zero Waste Melrose will collect hard-to recycle plastic packaging as part of the Recycling and Sustainability Day sponsored by Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian.
Melrose residents are invited to bring these items for free recycling:
- Personal care packaging: All brands of deodorant containers & caps, toothpaste tubes & caps, floss containers, and toothbrushes (remove excess product). And, product packaging from brands Acure, Bliss, Beekman 1802, Burt’s Bees, Kate Somerville, Josie Maran, Tula, and Weleda
- Razors & packaging: All brands of blades & razors (including disposable units and replaceable-blade cartridge units) and rigid plastic and flexible plastic packaging
- Contact lens packaging: All brands of single-use blister packs, contact lens cases, and contact lens solution caps (no bottles)
- Drink pouches (not juice boxes): All brands, the straw can remain in
Squeeze pouches with screw tops on: All brands of fruit, veggie, and yogurt squeeze pouches. Please include the screw top to keep our collection clean. - Brita brand filters, pitchers, dispensers, bottles, and faucet systems
- Late July brand chip bags
- Writing instruments & packaging: All brands of markers, pens, mechanical pencils, highlighters & glue sticks, plus packaging
NEW: Styrofoam/polystyrene foam WILL be collected for a fee ($10). The only type of styrofoam collected will be white rigid foam packing material (the type used to pad electronics, appliances, etc.). Due to the limited uses of polystyrene foam and cost to reuse it, the styrofoam collection costs $10 to fill a 4'x4'x6' bag.
The plastic packaging items (not styrofoam) are shipped by ZWM to TerraCycle, which offers recycling programs funded by manufacturers, retailers, and other companies. The items we collect are not accepted in curbside recycling. ZWM’s TerraCycle program earns points that benefit the Melrose schools.
