Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority

On this cold, winter Sunday, we invite you to curl up with a blanket and a hot beverage and watch one of our videos on recycling, waste management or our facilities. There's lots on our website to learn and share! http://ow.ly/wZja50HAlRO

The more waste we create as a society, the more waste we must manage. At LCSWMA, we manage nearly 1 million tons of waste each year. The good news is that we can all make a difference. How? By making the conscious decision to consume less! Here are 4 questions from Earth911 to help us live more sustainably. http://ow.ly/praq50HAgE4

Before you throw away an unwanted item, please ask yourself if the item could be useful to someone else. There are so many wonderful community organizations in Dauphin and Lancaster Counties that take used items. A good example is Lancaster Creative Reuse! From craft items and mason jars to silk or faux florals, this donation-based store is ready to accept your unwanted items. Check their website for all the details including a list of acceptable donations, instructions for contactless drop off and store hours. http://ow.ly/JAOh50HA8Me

In celebration of National Popcorn Day, every employee at LCSWMA received a delicious bag of gourmet popcorn with a message of appreciation! We have the best HR team out there! I think everyone enjoyed the midweek tasty treat. Happy National Popcorn Day to all of you!

REMINDER: Starting February 1, 2022, LCSWMA will NO LONGER provide vests for FREE! Safety is a priority at LCSWMA. In the past, we have provided customers with free safety vests in the event they arrived onsite without proper attire. Unfortunately, this has become a financial burden to the organization. We require all customers entering tipping areas, including vehicle passengers, to be wearing high-visibility attire to avoid purchasing a vest. For more information on thi...s new safety vest policy, visit our website at http://ow.ly/jo0r50Hr76w. Thank you for helping us keep our visitors, employees, and YOU safe!

"For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver." --Martin Luther King Jr.

No cartons of any kind including egg, milk or juice cartons, should go in your recycling bin. Only place the Big 4 in your bin: corrugated cardboard, plastic bottles and jugs with a neck, metal food and beverage cans, and glass bottles and jars. It’s okay to throw everything else away we transform discarded waste into renewable energy. For more info, visit http://ow.ly/x6ME50Hv32K.

Over the holidays, we tend to upgrade our electronics and technology gadgets. As you bring in the new, not sure what to do with the old? LCSWMA encourages you to consider a REUSE strategy! Here's a Tip: ReUzit on State http://ow.ly/jpFS50Hv0yM accepts working electronic items, including stereos, radios, speakers, DVDs and Blu-Ray players. Donating your older electronics keeps them out of the waste stream and puts them into the hands of new owners. Oh, there's also a ReUzit Shop of New Holland! *ReUzit does not accept computers, monitors or TVs

Thank you to everyone who joined us last evening for our recycling presentation with Penn Waste! If you were not able to attend or want to watch or share the presentation, click here: http://news.lcswma.com/137433-virtual-learning-series-kick-

Join LCSWMA and Penn Waste for a discussion on the recycling process and go inside a recycling center to see what happens after the curb.

Happy Earth Day! Today and every day, our staff go above and beyond to care for our environment. From daily litter cleanups at all our facilities to caring for our county's recreational trails, LCSWMA staff are dedicated to making a positive difference in our community. ... We ask that you take that same spirit back to your neighborhood and invite you to join us in keeping our planet clean and healthy. Consider taking a trash bag along on your next walk and collecting any litter your find. Or cut back on single-use plastics like bags, packaging, and takeout containers. Maybe experiment making your own clean, green cleaning products. Whatever you decide to do, know that every action, no matter how small, contributes to community sustainability. #LCSWMA #EarthDay #EarthDay2021 #ThankYou #Community #KeepOurCommunityClean

Sometimes the idea of making a sustainable change seems overwhelming. Just in time for Earth Day, @Earth911 shares seven easy ways to go green: http://ow.ly/Y5mX50EuBRQ

Our friends at Save It Lancaster are hosting an Earth Day cleanup at Long’s Park on Thursday, April 22. Sign up at the Eventbrite link and help keep our community clean!

We can't wait for you to join us for our virtual webinar with @PennWaste, Everything You Don't Know About Recycling, on Earth Day! If you haven't already, sign up here: http://ow.ly/1Hla50Eru65 AND if you have any recycling questions, leave them in the comments so we can answer them during the webinar!

Here is a quick reminder about what belongs in your recycling bin. Just remember the Big 4! corrugated cardboard plastic bottles and jugs with necks... metal food and beverage containers glass bottles and jars Thank you for helping us Recycle Right!

Our friends at Sahd Metal Recycling are hosting a virtual Earth Day event next Thursday, April 22. Thank you to everyone at Sahd for being champions of environmental education and our community!

Cigarette butts are the most frequently littered item. In fact, according to Keep America Beautiful, the overall littering rate for cigarette butts is 65%! Help keep our environment litter-free and pick up after yourself. #LeaveNoTrash Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful

We are proud to partner with Lancaster Conservancy for the fifth annual Water Week! Learn how water connects us all, and how you can help protect our streams and rivers. #lancasterwaterweek

Have you signed up for our virtual Earth Day recycling talk? If not, be sure to do so and be entered to win this goodie bag! Participants who sign up, attend the recycling talk and complete a brief 3 question survey, will be entered to win this bag FULL of reusable goodies. ... Included in the bag: Reusable silicone bags Glass food storage containers Metal and silicone straws Umbrella Reusable coffee mug, tumbler w/ straw and canteen Portable phone charger $50 gift card to Rachel's Cafe & Creperie Click here to reserve your spot! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/147892980887

Are you familiar with battery bags? These bright orange bags can be found at your local municipal office or at LCSWMA and are used to safely recycle batteries. Simply put your batteries in the bag and place NEXT to your trashcan. Your hauler will pick up the bag and bring it to LCSWMA for recycling. Lancaster County residents can also drop off battery bags at LCSWMA's Household Hazardous Waste Facility for FREE.... Call our main office at 717-397-9968 to request free battery bags to be sent to your home

We love this innovative thinking! A woman in Kenya recycles plastic waste into bricks that are stronger than concrete: http://ow.ly/ErNw50EkdW3 Photo and article courtesy of Reuters. ... #Innovation #Plastic #PlasticRecycling #Reuse

Thank you, Fig Lancaster, for featuring our Virtual Facility Tours Program! See for yourself how the waste we create is transformed into enough electricity to power the equivalent of 30,000 area homes. https://figlancaster.com//lcswma-tipping-floors-and-virtu/

Happy *almost* Halloween! Tonight, many of the municipalities in Lancaster County are holding trick-or-treat. Be safe. Have fun. And be sure to send us pictures if you are dressing up like a garbage truck, garbage man/woman or anything related.

One of the most Frequently Asked Questions we get about recycling is whether or not shredded paper is recyclable. The answer is yes, just not in your curbside bin. Shredded paper is almost impossible to separate at processing facilities and is easily contaminated. Not to mention, it can easily blow out of your bin and become litter. ... Only corrugated cardboard should be placed in your curbside bin. Visit Earth911.com to find a facility that accepts shredded paper for recycling.

FYI! A good reminder from Penn Waste! Remember to Recycle Right by only putting the Big 4 in your curbside bin: Corrugated cardboard... Plastic bottles and jugs with necks Metal food and beverage containers Glass bottles and jars Learn more at www.recyclerightlancaster.org.

Congratulations Northwest Lancaster County River Trail! What’s your favorite Lancaster County trail?

Ghosts and goblins may be spooky, but do you know what’s even scarier? The fact that only 12.8%* of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the United States is disposed of through waste-to-energy (WTE) Through our Integrated System, LCSWMA is able to divert the majority of MSW from our Frey Farm Landfill annuallyand that’s no trick! ... WTE helps us achieve that goal. http://ow.ly/LWo350wYAfN *Fact courtesy of the EPA

Get in the Halloween spirit and learn about the history of the Susquehanna River towns by exploring the Susquehanna National Heritage Area's Haunted History Guide. The interactive map features three creepy categories: Paranormal Experiences Folklore & Legends... Tragedies & Odd History Access the guide here: https://www.susquehannaheritage.org/susquehanna-nha-haunte/

"The Earth is what we all have in common." Wendell Berry

Thank you so much to the students from the Elizabethtown College Sustainable World Club for cleaning up a mile-stretch of the Conoy Creek last weekend. The students collected 425 pounds of trash! Thank you for helping keep our community clean! ... This project was made possible through Keep Lancaster County Beautiful, an initiative of LCSWMA and partner of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.

Fall is fire season Please remember to properly dispose of ashes from a campfire, fireplace or grill by following these guidelines: Allow ashes to cool. When it's time for disposal, move ashes to a metal container.... Wet down the ashes. Keep wet ashes outside and away from your home until collection. Ashes and coals can remain hot enough to start a fire for many days after the fire is out. Therefore, if not disposed of properly, ashes can start fires in the back of garbage trucks or at our facilities, putting our staff and customers are risk.

LCSWMA is proud to partner with Columbia Crossing in support of Columbia Borough School District through the sale of reusable water bottles. The water bottles are made in the United States from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic. 500 bottles were donated to Columbia Borough School District and are available for purchase for $6.50 at Columbia Crossing. ... Proceeds benefit Columbia Crossing educational initiatives. Learn more here: http://ow.ly/5otT30rfZL6

What a beautiful photo of the changing leaves on the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail! Thanks for sharing Susquehanna Riverlands.

With the exception of corrugated cardboard, fiber-based products like office paper, newspapers and paperboard, should NOT go in your recycling bin. When these materials come in contact with water, grease or other contaminants, they are no longer useful. #RecycleRightLancaster!

Think before you toss! Thankful no one was injured!

LEGOs are built to last a lifetime! As a way to help reduce waste, LEGO introduced the LEGO Replay program, which allows customers to donate used bricks to children in need. Talk about a great reuse story! ... Read more here: http://ow.ly/b2bB50BUT05 Do you still have your childhood LEGOs?