Burke Recycling Center
Summary of Activities 
Hazardous Household Waste Recycling Symbols Documents
The Town of Burke will discontinue curbside recycling pickup on June 3, 2023. The Recycling Center will continue to be open for people to bring their recycling.
Recycling Center Hours - Wednesday, 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Thursday, 3:00 p.m.- 6:00 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. until noon. You may not leave any recyclable materials without an attendant present.
Thank you to the people of Burke for your support of the recycling center. If anyone needs help with collecting items for special projects please feel free to ask. We will be happy to help you.
MESSAGE FROM THE RECYCLING CENTER
The Recycle Center shipped 186 tons of recyclables in 2021. As always, this does not include all the newspaper, cardboard, books, metal, and packing peanuts, etc., which go out with residents who are moving, doing some gardening, farming or some project they are working on.
Please also, remember that burning trash is not only harmful and illegal but it is getting more expensive. The State and Municipalities now have the power to issue tickets and fine violators up to $500 for illegal trash burning. This includes burning trash outdoors in piles or burn barrels, or in woodstoves or enclosed incinerators
We thought everyone would like to know the figures for solid waste for Burke the past ten years.
Tonnage 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Rubbish 315.1 318.0 334.5 302.7 270.4 285.8 289.4 299.2 267.6 309.4
Bulky Days 25.3 17.7 23.7 18.9 21.0 22.3 26.4 26.4 18.54 15.9
About 43.32 tons of compost materials were collected in Burke by a local composting business. If everyone in the town just did composting and recycling, the landfill tonnage would start to go down even with a population increase. We have several new composters available for sale at the recycling center and at the Town Clerks office.
Returnable deposit bottles and cans donated at the recycling center brought in $1800 for several different non-profit organizations this year. This money helps groups like the Burke Senior Meal Site, the East Burke and West Burke Fire Departments and the East Burke and West Burke Libraries just to name a few. We also save egg cartons for the public to pick up and re-use.
Thank you to the people of Burke for their support of the recycling center in 2021
Recycling-Hours: Wednesday 3 P.M. to 6 P.M.
Thursday 3 P.M. to 6 P.M.
Saturday 8 A.M. to 12 P.M.
Thanks again
The Recycling Department
WE ARE NOW COLLECTING COMPOST
IN A BINS PLACED OUTSIDE THE RECYCLING CENTER
There are 2 compost bins outside the building. One bin is to put your compost in. The other bin holds shredded paper. Please put your compost in the bin marked "compost" and then add some shredded paper. PLEASE DO NOT PUT COMPOST IN THE SHREDDED PAPER BIN.
YES – YOU CAN COMPOST THESE
Meat, Bones, Fish & Seafood, Seafood shells,
Fruits & Vegetables
Eggs, Eggshells, Paper Egg Cartons
Milk, Cheese, Other Dairy
Dressings, Condiments, Sauces, Soups
Flour, Bread, All Pasta & Pastries
Coffee Grounds & Filters
Nuts, Nutshells
Spices
Oils, Fats
NO -DO NOT COMPOST THESE BUT PLEASE RECYCLE
Paper Products, including
Sugar & flour bags
Soiled cardboard
Sugar & sweetener packets
DO NOT COMPOST OR RECYCLE - PUT IN YOUR TRASH
Plastics: Utensils, Straws & Sticks
Bags & Twist-Ties
Plastic Wrap & Packaging
Plastic Stickers
Floral Products, Including
Plants, Cut flowers
Cloth, Including
Handi-wipes, Cloth Rags
Rubber Bands
Wax coated juice and milk cartons
BREAKDOWN OF RECYCLING CATEGORIES
CATEGORY DESCRIPTION
1 MIXED PAPER – Newspapers with inserts, telephone books Magazines,catalogues.Junk mail, white paper, mixed office, white classroom paper, fax paper, construction paper and egg cartons. We accept shredded paper but it must be put into clear plstic bags. Please open junk mail to take out any contaminates.
NO WAXED COATED BOXBOARD OR CARDBOARD (eg: HALF & HALF BOX)
2 OLD CORRUGATED CONTAINERS – brown corrugated cardboard. Pizza boxes, brown paper bags, wet board, single layer cardboard, white or gray box board, brown box board (when ripped , brown inside). Staples are OK, tape is OK, please remove the plastic shipping list. No Duct Tape.
3 GLASS – All colors together
4 #1 PETE – #2 HDPE NATURAL #2 HDPE COLOR #3 thru 7 PLASTIC Clear water bottles, Gatorade, Ice Tea, etc. Any clear plastic with a molded center on bottom, Natural milk containers and water bottles, household detergent and personal care bottles. Hood light block milk jugs
NO CAPS, COVERS, MOTOR OIL CONTAINERS AND NO STYROFOAM.
5 ALUMINUM – Cans, aluminum pie plates, aluminum foil, soda
cans, V-8 cans
6 TIN CANS - All tin cans.
7 BOOKS – Hardcover and Soft Cover
Oil containers and hazardous product containers are not acceptable. Also no automotive, animal care, lawn and garden or medical product containers.
All containers must be empty, clean, and HAVE A RECYLING SYMBOL ON IT
lids AND COVERS MAY BE RECYCLED.
NO FOOD CONTAMINATION AT ALL
NO STYROFOAM OF ANY KIND
HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION DAY
The Town of Burke will sponsor four HHW Days in 2023. Burke will be partnering with the Town of St Johnsbury to be in compliance with our Solid Waste Plan and new State rules. We will hold 2 Hazardous Waste Days in St Johnsbury at the Main Street Parking lot behind the Fire Station, on Saturday May 15, 2023 and Saturday August 12, 2023. Both Burke and St Johnsbury residents and small business owners may attend. In addition to these events, Burke will hold 2 HHW Day at the Burke Town Garage on Saturday July 15, 2023 and Saturday Oct. 21, 2023 . Both Burke and St Johnsbury residents and small business owners may attend this event.
WHAT IS HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION DAY?
Household Hazardous Waste is any discarded household material that can be classified as toxic, corrosive, flammable, or reactive/explosive. *Paint, *Acids/bases, *Hobby Chemicals, *Pesticides, *Cleaning Products, *Batteries, *Thinners/strippers.
There may be both short-term and long-term harmful effects to humans and the environment from improper use and disposal of household hazardous waste.
To protect human health and the environment, the Town of Burke is sponsoring this one-day collection event three times per year.
Residents can bring unwanted household hazardous wastes to the Town Garage off School Street in West Burke at times to be announced. Staff from a licensed hazardous waste disposal firm will package and transport the waste to an approved disposal facility. There will be no charge to Town residents wishing to participate in this event. Please refer to the list of acceptable and unacceptable materials when preparing for this event.
WHO MAY PARTICIPATE?
Residents of the Town of Burke and St Johnsbury only. These special days are designed for collection of household generated materials only. Business waste will not be accepted during the hours of collection without prior arrangement. There will be a charge for accepting business waste. Please call the Town Clerk's Office at 467-3717 for more information.
Please follow these instructions:
** Keep all products in their original containers with labels intact.
** Place individual containers in sturdy cardboard boxes for transportation to the collection event. You may want to use newspaper or cardboard to keep items from tipping or hitting each other during transportation. Make sure all lids are on tight.
** Wrap leaking containers in newspapers and place in clear plastic bags. Make sure lids are tight.
** Do not mix any chemicals or pesticides together. Place any chemicals that might react with each other in separate areas of the vehicle.
** Do not leave products in hot, unventilated vehicles for an extended period of time.
HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE (Continued)
**Do not smoke near any chemical products. Smoking and eating are prohibited on site.
** Participants are discouraged from bringing small children or pets to the collection event.
**Please be patient. There may be a waiting line.
ACCEPTABLE MATERIALS
Acids Mothballs or Flakes
Adhesives Motor Oil
Aerosols Muriatic Acid
Antifreeze Nail Polish
Asbestos Materials Nail Polish Removers
Auto Batteries No-Pest Strips
Boric Acid Oven Cleaners
Brake Fluids Paints Latex/Oil-Based
Cements Paint Removers
Charcoal Lighters Paint Thinners
Chlorine PCB’s
Cleaning Fluid Pentachlorophenol
Corn and Wart Removers Permanent Solutions
Degreasers Pesticides
Dioxin Insect Pesticides Photo Chemicals
Disinfectants Pool Chemicals
Drain Cleaners Pressurized Tanks
Dry Gas Gas Cylinders
Epoxies Rat Poisons
Dyes Rug/Upholstery Cleaners
Fiberglass Resins Rust Solvents
Flea collars and Powders Solvents
Fluorescent Tubes Spot Removers
Furniture Strippers Toilet Bowl cleaners
Hair Removers Tub & Tile cleaners
Herbicides Turpentine
Inks Varnish
Insecticides Weed Killers
Insect Repellents Wood Polishers
Lacquers Wood Preservatives
Lubricants Wood Stains
HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE (Continued)
WASTES THAT WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED
>>>> Explosives; shock-sensitive materials and water/air reactive materials (Dynamite, ammunition)
>>>> Pathological Wastes; Infectious Wastes (disease-causing organisms); Medicines (medical wastes)
>>>> Radioactive Wastes (including smoke detectors)
THE TOWN RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REFUSE ANY MATERIAL, WHICH IS NOT DEEMED ACCEPTABLE BY THE MANAGING CHEMIST ON SITE.
FOR MORE INFORMATION YOU MAY CONTACT:
Linda Hackett-Corey , Burke Town Clerk 467-3717 – Days
Mark Daigle, Selectman 535-9733 - Evenings
Joseph Allard, Selectman 535-4520 - Evenings
Jerry Booth, Selectman 839-0266 - Evenings