Kathy Quinn thinks twice before tossing her trash; she recycles instead. Recycling options in town have "really changed how I manage the garbage around my house," she said.newtown-ct.govInformation is available at Organics Recycling ProgramNewtown started in NovemberTransfer Station Administrator Arlene Miles is excited about the organic food scraps program, which . No plastic items, stickers, rubber bands or twist ties."); bread, pasta and grains; sauces, soup and gravy; coffee grounds and filters; tea bags; paper towels and napkins; egg shells; and plate scrapings.arlene.miles@newtown-ct.govFor more information call Public Works at 203-270-4307 contact Ms Miles at  Traditional Recyclingthe Public Works pageThe town also offers recycling bins for curbside pick up. Residents can visit in July 2011Bins are available at the Public Works building on Turkey Hill Road. Newtown switched to single stream recycling - where all items can be placed into a single bin or clear bag - newtown-ct.gov to learn about regional recycling efforts.hrra.orgVisit

Ms Quinn, who is also the chair of the town's Sustainable Energy Commission, points to the many free recycling possibilities available to residents "that people may not know about."

Used books, electronics, mattresses, organic food scraps, motor oil, even invasive plants cleared from the yard are all among the items that can be dropped at Newtown's transfer station at the end of Ethan Allen Road off Main Street South.

"Recycling cuts down on how much goes into the trash," she said, and could help save on household refuse removal.

"Recycling reduces our carbon footprint," Ms Quinn said. "People can drop off so much for free."

Used books, CDs and DVDs can also be put into a donations trailer put in place by Friends of C.H. Booth Library, who use the collection point for the library's annual book sale.

"You can clean the whole house out except for things that have to wait for hazardous waste day," said Ms Quinn. Newtown, a member of the Housatonic Resource Recovery Agency (HRRA), sponsors at least one Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days each year. Residents within the towns served by HRRA can often take their items to collection days in neighboring towns if they miss the collection in their hometown, or need to clean their homes of additional items that are not accepted at the transfer station.

Ms Quinn hopes residents will take advantage of Newtown's transfer station.

"It's a resource that we have, and it's convenient and it's easy in and easy out," she said.

(click on Town Departments, then Public Works) explaining the different recycling programs.

Residents do not need to have a town issued transfer station permit in order to use any of the recycling programs.

. Newtown began the program through HRRA, piggybacking on the effort when other nearby towns also started the food scraps recycling, she said.

The town invested in bins, "which we provide to households," for the food scraps, she said. Residents can sign up for the free program through HRRA.org.

Anything left over after cooking can be recycled through this program. Resident can then take their scraps to the transfer station, she said.

"We really want to increase" the number of households participating, she said. Roughly 150 are already involved.

"This year we want to get the number up to 400," Ms Miles said. She urges residents to sign up, get their starter kit, and especially to know the rules for food scrap recycling. Kits are available at the Public Works garage, located at 4 Turkey Hill Road.

"The good news is that we still have kits available if you haven't picked up yours," Ms Miles said. "The bad news is that we still need to work on our efforts." She notes a "continuing problem with contamination, which is detrimental to the program."

She offered a list of items that are acceptable, and asked that bags are not tied or knotted. In an email she noted "no plastic bags or any other item not listed should be put in your compost bag. Only food scraps are allowed in your bin

Acceptable food waste items include: meat, poultry (bones also) fish (including shellfish); dairy products; flower and vegetable garden waste; houseplants and flower bouquets; fruits and nuts (including pits); vegetables (remove stickers, bands and ties

Ms Miles reminds residents that bags should not be tied closed.

"Bags that have a knot in them do not decompose at the same rate as the other material in your bin. When your kitchen collection bin is full, simply pull it out and place in your larger 6 gallon carry container," she said.

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Recycling at the transfer station is free to all Newtown residents.

Items accepted at the station include electronics (TV, computer, printer, VCR, fax machines, video gaming systems, digital cameras), mattress and box springs, plastics, aluminum, glass, cardboard, books (which should be put into the Friends of the Library donation trailer), motor oil, antifreeze, tires, car and rechargeable batteries.

Residents can check in at the transfer station office to learn where items should be placed.

The transfer station also serves as a drop-off point for Goodwill and the Salvation Army. A manned trailer is open most days for the former, and a donation bin is on site for the latter.

on the town website (following the same route outlined above, then click on Find your recycling Pick up day) to find out when they should put their recycling out to be picked up each week.

. Milk cartons, egg containers, aluminum cans, phone and paperback books, cardboard, newspapers and junk mail, office paper, glass bottles, plastic bottles and containers can all go in the same bin. There are several exceptions, however.

to learn more about Newtown's recycling possibilities, or

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