Brewster Recycling Commission Update
Brewster does a great job recycling, but we need to better manage black plastic and plastic film. Please do not place any plastic film or black plastic in the Metal & Plastic Recycling Bin at the Brewster Recycling Center.
Plastic Film
- Examples: Dry cleaning bags, zip-top food storage bags, plastic wrap on products like paper towels and beverages, bubble wrap, air pillows, and all similar plastics.
- How to discard: Film plastics can be recycled at the Harwich Stop & Shop and some other markets or discarded in a yellow Brewster Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) bag.
- Why? Plastic films can get tangled in standard recycling equipment and may harm equipment or workers.
- Similar products: Items like salad mix or frozen food bags, candy bar wrappers, and chip bags should always be discarded in a yellow PAYT bag. These are not recyclable at markets; they are trash used for energy production.
Black Plastic Items
- Examples: ALL black plastic for example plant pots and trays, take-out food containers.
- How to discard: Black plastic items should be discarded in yellow PAYT bags NOT into the Metal & Plastic Recycling Bin.
- Why: Recycling facility optical scanners can’t sort black items.
- Planting pots: If you have black plastic planting pots, check with your nursery to see if you may return them for reuse. If not, they should be discarded in a yellow PAYT bag.
For more information on how to recycle, visit https://www.recyclesmartma.org.
For more information on the Brewster Recycling Center, visit https://www.brewster-ma.gov/recycle-front.
