SCHOHARIE COUNTY SIMPLIFIES RECYCLING

SCHOHARIE COUNTY — Residents of Schoharie County benefit from Zero-Sort Recycling®, a system that allows them to place all recyclable materials—including paper, cardboard, glass, plastics, and metals—into one bin. Commonly known as “single-stream recycling,” this method eliminates the need to sort materials at home. While simplifying the process has boosted participation, we still need your help to ensure recyclables are clean and ready for handling.

There is a common misconception that “zero-sort” means mixing trash and recyclables. That is NOT the case, as Zero-Sort® is for RECYCLABLES ONLY. This confusion is often reinforced when people see garbage trucks collecting both trash and recycling. However, many of these trucks have a split-body design meant to keep materials separated. 

When recyclables are collected from the Schoharie County Transfer Station, they are transported to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) for sorting. The recycling process begins with MRF workers manually removing non-recyclable items or materials that could damage the sorting equipment. The remaining recyclables then go through a series of screens, magnets, fans, and optical sensors that separate paper, plastic, metal, and glass into their respective categories. Once sorted, the materials are baled and shipped to a recycling facility, where they are turned into new products. 

Many single-use items cannot be recycled, including toilet paper, paper towels, and baby or adult diapers. Other items—such as plastic silverware, straws, bottle caps, and K-cups—are too small to be sorted. Additionally, containers that are not rinsed and dried before disposal may be considered contaminated or non-recyclable. ELECTRONICS can be recycled free of charge year-round at the Schoharie County Transfer Station. 

 Please visit the NEW Schoharie County website for more information and videos explaining the Zero-Sort® process: http://www.schohariecounty-ny.gov/.