Tips on Trash for Spring Cleaning in Oneida County
March 8, 2016
First things first as it’s finally getting warm…spring cleaning, then outdoor fun!
If you’re planning on tidying up the attic or cleaning out the cellar, you know you’ll be faced with decisions on what to recycle, what to throw out in the trash, and what can be reused by others.
To help you get ready for the 2016 spring cleaning at your house, we checked in with the website at the Oneida County Solid Waste Authority for some tips on trash. Here are some typical items you might find in the garage, cellar or attic and how you can get rid of them.
Bulky Rigid Plastics
Items such as plastic beverage crates, plastic buckets or pails, plastic toys, flower pots, lawn furniture, and large water jugs can be recycled but not at the curb for pickup. You can bring these items to the authority for recycling.
Books
If you have an avid reader in the house, you may be overwhelmed living in a sea of books. You can get rid of at least some of these tomes (while the avid reader isn’t looking, of course!) in a number of productive ways.
First is, if they are in good condition, give them to a local non-profit’s fund raising book sale. The Kirkland Art Center in Clinton and Whitesboro’s Dunham Public Library come to mind. Also, the Rescue Mission of Utica and Salvation Army accepts hardcovers, except text books, encyclopedias, dictionaries, and Readers Digest Condensed Books.
Those old paperback romance novels can be recycled at the curb. But hardcovers must be brought directly to the Authority. There the hardcover binding will be removed and the high-quality paper recycled into new paper products.
Clothing
You can either have your unwanted clothing recycled or donated for others to enjoy. If you drop off clothing to the Authority for recycling, it can have rips, stains, missing buttons, and broken zippers. It should be clean and dry, however.
Other items acceptable for recycling are footwear, hats, gloves, scarves, pocketbooks, duffle bags, belts and ties. Stuffed animals are also acceptable. And linens including sheets, blankets, comforters, towels, draperies and table linens.
Of course, if your clothing is wearable, or gently used as they say, there are plenty of drop boxes available throughout Utica, New Hartford, Whitesboro, Clinton etc. It’s always a good idea to give your clothes a second life with a family who could use them.
The ReStore
The Oneida County Habitat for Humanity has moved its ReStore to 494 French Road in the former toy train store. Here’s a place for that furniture your grown kids left behind, extra tools you’ve got cluttering up the tool box, or working appliances you want to replace.
Your items are then resold at large discounts with the proceeds going to finance Habitat for Humanity. Habitat has built homes in Oneida County since 1990 and has since built 16 homes! It’s a great organization and your donation is tax deductible.
The Oneida County Waste Authority website answers all your questions about what you can and can’t put in the trash and recycle either at the curb or directly to the Authority. Recycling and reselling is good for you, the environment, and the people who get to reuse your old stuff.
Happy spring cleaning 2016!
Until next time,
Your SZW Team
Scalzo, Zogby & Wittig, Inc. is your New Hartford area independent insurance agent. Call us for a quote on insurance for your home, car, business, or life at 315.792.0000. Or request a quote here.
