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Batteries contain valuable materials that can be reclaimed, but they also pose a significant fire hazard if they are crushed in a garbage truck or at a processing facility. Never place batteries of any kind in your trash or your household recycling containers.

Safe Disposal Steps:

Check Requirements: Many of our drop-off locations now use specialized “OneDrum” collection systems that allow for the safe mixing of most household batteries. Please check with your specific transfer station or collection site to see if they require you to tape battery terminals.

Tape if Necessary: If your local site requires it, place a small piece of clear packing, scotch, or electrical tape over the ends (terminals) of all lithium and high-voltage batteries (such as 9V) to prevent sparking.

Keep “Damaged” Separate: If a battery is swollen, leaking, or damaged, do not place it in a standard collection bin. Alert the facility attendant immediately for specialized handling.

By following these simple steps, you help protect our local workers and prevent dangerous fires at our recycling facilities. To find a battery drop-off site near you, visit the Call2Recycle Vermont Locator.If your local site requires it, place a small piece of clear packing, scotch, or electrical tape over the ends (terminals) of all lithium and high-voltage batteries (such as 9V) to prevent sparking and dangerous fires. To find a collection site near you, visit https://batterynetwork.org/locator/

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Diverting food scraps from the trash is mandatory under Vermont law. Keeping organic matter out of the landfill reduces greenhouse gas emissions and protects our environment.

Diverting food scraps from the trash is mandatory under Vermont law. Keeping organic matter out of the landfill reduces greenhouse gas emissions and protects our environment.

Which method is right for you?

The “Hybrid” Approach: Many residents choose to compost “clean” veggie scraps and coffee grounds in their backyard while bringing “attractants” like meat, bones, and fats to their local SWAC transfer station. This is a great way to make your own fertilizer while keeping pests and bears away from your home.

Full Drop-Off: All SWAC transfer stations accept food scraps. This includes everything from apple cores to meat scraps.

Full Backyard Composting: If you choose to compost everything at home, the law allows you to put meat and bones in the trash specifically to avoid attracting wildlife.

Information for Renters

If you live in an apartment building with 4 or more units, your landlord is required by state law to provide access to food scrap collection.

If your landlord does not offer a food scrap collection system, you should report the violation to the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR).

Contact ANR Enforcement: Call 802-828-1254 or fill out an Environmental Violation Report.

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Certain electronics are strictly banned from landfills in Vermont. To make compliance easy, the Vermont E-Cycles program provides free collection for “covered” electronics from Vermont households, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, and small businesses with 10 or fewer employees.

What is Covered for Free:

Computers (desktops and laptops)

Computer monitors and televisions

Printers

Computer peripherals (keyboards, mice, etc.)

Other Electronics: Items like stereos, VCRs, DVD players, and phones are also banned from the trash but may carry a small fee for recycling at your local collection site. Never place electronics in your household recycling containers.

Watch: Covered vs. Non-Covered Electronics This short overview explains which devices are covered under the free state program and how to distinguish between items that belong at a specialized collection facility.

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Vermont’s Product Stewardship laws—also known as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)—require manufacturers to take responsibility for the entire life cycle of their products, including safe disposal and recycling. Under these mandatory programs, producers of covered items provide convenient, often free, collection sites for residents and Very Small Quantity Generators (VSQGs). Current programs include mandated recycling for primary and rechargeable batteries, architectural paint, mercury-containing lamps and thermostats, and most consumer electronics.

Vermont’s Household Hazardous Waste law requires manufacturers of toxic, flammable, or corrosive products—such as fuel additives, flammable aerosols, degreasers, and nicotine vaping devices—to fund the statewide collection and management of these materials. Please note that while pharmaceutical drugs have safe disposal kiosks at local pharmacies and police stations, they are managed by the Department of Health and are not part of the EPR program. For a comprehensive list of covered products and official program details, visit the Vermont DEC Product Stewardship Hub or view specific details on the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) EPR Law.

Webinar

Our “From Garbage to Garden” workshop is designed to help residents turn kitchen scraps and yard trimmings into nutrient-rich soil right in their own backyards. This session covers the essential science of home composting, including the proper balance of “greens” and “browns,” troubleshooting common issues like odors or pests, and tips for composting effectively in Vermont’s unique climate. Participants will learn how backyard composting not only creates a valuable resource for gardens and lawns but also helps households remain in compliance with Vermont’s food scrap diversion requirements. Whether you are a beginner or looking to refine your technique, this workshop provides the practical tools needed to reduce waste and support a healthy local ecosystem.

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Household hazardous wastes are products labeled with terms such as “Caution,” “Warning,” “Danger,” or “Poison,” indicating they are flammable, corrosive, reactive, or toxic. Under Vermont law, these materials are banned from the trash and must be managed through specialized collection programs. The Household Hazardous Waste EPR Law ensures that manufacturers of these products help fund their safe collection and disposal. This includes common items such as flammable aerosols (spray paint and cleaners), automotive fluids (fuel additives and degreasers), non-refillable gas cylinders (propane and CO2), and nicotine vaping devices. By utilizing our scheduled HHW collection events or year-round permanent facilities, you help keep these dangerous chemicals out of our local landfills and water supplies. Always keep products in their original containers with labels intact when bringing them for disposal.

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In Vermont, recycling is not just a good idea—it’s the law. The Universal Recycling Law (Act 148) mandates that all residents, businesses, and institutions separate specific materials from their trash and place them in designated recycling containers.

To ensure our local materials can actually be processed and sold, please follow the “Clean, Dry, and Loose” rule: rinse out food residue, keep paper dry, and never put your recyclables in plastic bags.

What Belongs in Your Recycling Container:

Plastic: Bottles, jars, jugs, and tubs (#1, #2, and #5). Always discard pumps and thin film.

Metal: Aluminum and steel cans, and clean aluminum foil (balled up).

Glass: Bottles and jars.

Paper & Cardboard: Newspaper, magazines, catalogs, mail, cereal boxes, and flattened corrugated cardboard.

What to Keep OUT (Contaminants):

No Plastic Bags: These tangle in sorting equipment.

No Food Scraps: These should be composted separately.

Keep hoses, wires, and strings out of the container.

No Small Items: Anything smaller than 2 inches (like loose bottle caps) will fall through the machinery.

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Under Vermont law, all mercury-containing light bulbs are banned from the trash and must be recycled to prevent the release of toxic mercury vapor into the environment. While the sale of most general-purpose fluorescent tubes and screw-based CFLs has been phased out in favor of energy-efficient LEDs, the manufacturer-funded recycling program remains in place for the safe management of older bulbs. Residents and small businesses can recycle most general-purpose mercury lamps at no cost at authorized collection sites. This includes compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), linear fluorescent tubes, U-bend and circular lamps, and High-Intensity Discharge (HID) bulbs. To ensure safety, bulbs should never be crushed; they should be stored in their original packaging or a sturdy box to prevent breakage during transport. If a bulb does break, follow official cleanup procedures to avoid inhaling mercury vapor. For a list of free collection locations or to learn about the safe cleanup of a broken bulb, visit the Vermont DEC Mercury Lamp Recycling Page.

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Older manual thermostats often contain mercury “tilt switches”—small glass tubes (ampoules) filled with a silver liquid. Because mercury is a potent neurotoxin, these devices are strictly banned from the trash in Vermont. To encourage safe disposal, a manufacturer-funded stewardship program offers a $5 incentive for every mercury-switch thermostat recycled at a participating location. Residents and contractors can bring intact thermostats to any authorized collection site—including many HVAC wholesalers and hardware stores—to receive a $5 instant store credit or a mail-in rebate coupon. To check if your thermostat contains mercury, simply remove the front cover; if you see one or more small glass bulbs containing silver liquid, it must be recycled as hazardous waste. For safety, do not attempt to remove the glass bulbs yourself; please recycle the entire unit intact. For a map of local collection sites where you can claim your $5 rebate, visit the Thermostat Recycling Corporation (TRC) or the Vermont DEC Mercury Management Page.

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Under Vermont law, architectural paint is banned from the trash and must be recycled through the manufacturer-funded PaintCare program. This program provides a convenient network of permanent drop-off sites—including many local hardware stores and transfer stations—where residents and businesses can recycle unwanted paint, stain, and varnish at no cost.

What is Accepted:

Architectural Paints: Interior and exterior latex, acrylic, water-based, oil-based, and alkyd paints.

Stains & Coatings: Deck coatings, floor paints, primers, sealers, undercoaters, shellacs, lacquers, and varnishes (single-component).

Guidelines for Drop-Off:

Original Containers: Paint must be in its original container with the manufacturer’s label intact.

Size Limit: Containers must be 5 gallons or smaller.

Condition: Cans must have a secure lid and must not be leaking.

Note on Empty Cans: Completely empty or dried-out metal paint cans can often be recycled as scrap metal; however, plastic paint cans and cans with significant hardened residue should be disposed of as trash.

What is NOT Accepted: This program does not include aerosol (spray) paint, automotive or marine paints, or paint thinners and solvents. These items are managed separately as part of our Household Hazardous Waste collections. To find a free PaintCare drop-off location near you, visit the PaintCare Site Locator or the Vermont DEC Paint Stewardship Page.