The Law: Under Vermont’s Universal Recycling Law (Act 148), certain materials are “mandated recyclables.” This means they are strictly banned from the landfill, and recycling them is mandatory for all residents and businesses.

To make this convenient for you, all SWAC member transfer stations accept the products listed below.

✅ Mandated Recyclables Include:

  • Plastics: Bottles, jugs, and tubs labeled #1 (PET) and #2 (HDPE).

  • Glass: Food and beverage jars and bottles (all colors).

  • Metal: Aluminum and steel (tin) cans, and clean aluminum foil.

  • Paper & Cardboard: Corrugated cardboard, boxboard (cereal boxes), newspaper, magazines, junk mail, and office paper.

🔧 The Golden Rules for All Recyclables

To ensure these materials can actually be recycled into new products, please follow these three simple steps:

  1. Empty & Rinse: Containers don’t need to be dishwasher-clean, but they must be free of food residue.

  2. Keep it Dry: Paper and cardboard must be kept dry. Wet or moldy paper cannot be recycled and should be composted or trashed.

  3. Lose the Bags: Never place your recyclables in plastic bags. They must be placed in the recycling containers loose so that they can be sorted properly.

📍 Not sure where your local station is? Every SWAC town provides a location for these mandated items. Visit our Towns Page to find the specific hours and location for your community.