A new online resource to help Delawareans take the guesswork out of recycling has been unveiled by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. The new tool, Recyclopedia, helps the public and businesses determine the quickest and easiest ways to recycle materials that would otherwise go to a landfill.
The web-based application offers an easy-to-navigate, pictorial guide for more than 200 commonly used recyclables and where they can be recycled depending on the user’s ZIP code. Whether by computer, tablet, phone or other device, Delawareans and businesses can choose or search for an item and quickly find where it should be recycled.
“Recyclopedia is a new and exciting way DNREC is harnessing technology to reduce the amount of recyclables sent to our landfills,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “One of our challenges is confusion about what and how to recycle. Recyclopedia is a one-stop resource to help everyone know how to recycle right.”
The public can determine whether items should go in the trash, or to a curbside or drop-off location.
For example, conduct a search for milk jugs and learn they are acceptable to put in a curbside recycling cart. The program also informs the user to keep the cap on the jug. A search for coffee cups shows they are not acceptable to put in curbside recycling. Batteries are not acceptable either. Instead, batteries should be brought to a Delaware Solid Waste Authority Household Hazardous Waste collection event. Users can also find out where those solutions would be available depending on their ZIP code.
The DNREC Division of Waste and Hazardous Substances hired software developer iWasteNot Systems to develop Delaware’s Recyclopedia. The tool is dynamic, and based on both user interaction and DNREC staff research, will be updated regularly to ensure solutions and opportunities for recycling are up to date. It is available in more than 100 languages.
Learn more about Recyclopedia by visiting de.gov/recycling.
