Dutchess County Celebrates Earth Day
Recycling is Easier than Ever, No More Numbers to Worry About!

Poughkeepsie, NY… Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, Deputy Commissioner for Solid Waste Management Lindsay Carille and several county employees celebrated Earth Day today with a lunchtime walk and clean-up effort in and around the county government campus along Market Street in the City of Poughkeepsie.  County employees cleaned up any litter they came across and used the opportunity to learn more about materials that can be recycled in Dutchess County.

“One of the most popular comments I get from residents is ‘I am not sure what materials are accepted for recycling’,” said Deputy Commissioner of Solid Waste Management Lindsay Carille. “Most people are surprised to learn how many materials can be recycled in Dutchess County.”

“Recycling is easier than ever before in Dutchess. No more worrying about what number is on the plastic or what type of cardboard or paper is accepted.  Glass bottles, metal cans, plastic containers, paper and cardboards can all be recycled,” continued Ms. Carille.

Recycling materials is good for the environment since it takes less energy to create new items from recycled materials than from raw materials.  Dutchess County’s recently adopted local solid waste management plan “ReThinking Waste” calls the county’s overall recycling rate to almost triple over the next ten years, with the goal of a nearly 60% recycling rate by 2022.

According to Ms. Carille, there are some items that should not go  in household recycling bins including:

• Plastic bags – local retailers have special bins available to  recycle  plastic bags.
• Scrap metal - scrap metal can be recycled at a local metal recycler
• Hazardous Waste (such as automotive batteries, chemicals, cell phones, CFL’s, and motor oil). These items can be recycled at local retailers or at one of the several household hazardous waste events throughout the county.  
• Bio-Hazardous Waste (such as syringes and needles, diapers, pet waste)
• Ceramics and non-recyclable glass (such as china, mirrors, light bulbs, porcelain, and window glass).
• Foam (Styrofoam ®)
• Plastic lids and caps

“You can celebrate Earth Day everyday with a renewed commitment to recycling.   Help us meet and exceed our goal of a 60% countywide recycling rate before 2022.    Learn more about all the materials that can be successfully recycled and you will quickly see less and less going in your garbage can. Together, we can make Dutchess County a leader in recycling throughout New York State,” said County Executive Molinaro.

To learn more about recycling and solid waste management in Dutchess County, including ideas for recycling, reduction and reuse, visit the Solid Waste Management page.


Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro (gray sweatshirt) joins county employees for a lunchtime and clean-up effort around the county government campus in Poughkeepsie. Employees work along the sidewalk on the backside of the Dutchess County Family Court Building along the arterial.

Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro and several county employees in front of the Dutchess County Office Building on Market Street today following a lunchtime walk and clean up effort around the county government campus.    Employees collected four bags of trash and three bags of recyclable materials.