Who doesn’t love the revelry of the Fourth of July, and the grand display of fireworks that marks the occasion. With the Fourth on a Monday this year, that meant a whole weekend full of fireworks and food.
But that also meant trash left behind, both in yards and along the roadways. And that’s a great reminder of the need to recycle, and of Londonderry’s new recycling system, which went into effect July 1.
Automated biweekly recycling – that’s every other week recycling – is now in place, with Waste Management trucks making the pick-up. Big blue 96-gallon containers – and smaller ones for those who request them – should be wheeled to the curb every other week, on a schedule provided by the Town. All recyclables should be put in the bin; that’s the only way curbside recycling will be picked up.
While it may take a little while for residents to get used to the new schedule, the new system is likely to be more convenient – and cleaner as well. With the size of the container, wind should not be sending recyclables sailing down the street – and crows and dogs are less likely to gain access and have a field day rifling through the contents.
As with other towns’ recycling, newspaper, catalogs, junk mail, cardboard, magazines, milk cartons, cereal boxes, cans, paper bags, greeting cards, glass bottles and jars, yogurt containers and rigid plastic water and soda bottles can all be placed in the new containers. Check out the Town of Londonderry website at www.londonderrynh.org for detailed lists of eligible and non-eligible recycling items. And for questions, call the Department of Public Works at 432-1100, ext. 193, or email: DLimoli@LondonderryNH.org.
And remember that trash pick-ups continue on a weekly schedule, with the garbage placed in a separate container as usual.
While the recycling system has changed in Londonderry, the need to recycle is important in every town. Summer picnics tend to include plenty of paper and plastic goods; now is a good time to think about what can be recycled rather than thrown in the trash can when the day’s activities are over. We need to remember that our taxes pay the tipping fee for what goes into the landfills instead of being recycled, and the more we can separate and recycle, the better off we are, both environmentally and in our wallets.