Recycling at the Claverack Free Library

By Paula Ptaszek & Sarah Katan

Libraries are more than a beautiful place to discover new literary adventures. They are a hub of sustainability, and the Claverack Free Library is no exception. Most notably, all the different ways patrons can recycle various materials.

Got old books & DVDs?

Bring them to the library on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings! They will be sold at the annual library book sale, which is a major fundraiser for the library. Look for the sale over Columbus Day weekend.

Got empty prescription pill bottles?

Bring them to the library and they will be passed on to the Columbia-Greene Humane Society, where they will be reused to distribute veterinary medications to their four-legged residents. They must be empty, with the label removed and the top included.

Got used batteries?

Bring them to the library, which partners with Staples to recycle them. The library receives a credit at Staples, which can be used to purchase library supplies. The small box is located at the circulation desk. Both rechargeable (Lithium ion, nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride, nickel zinc, & small sealed lead acid) and single-use batteries (AA, AAA, 9V, C, D, button cells, & lithium primary) are accepted.

Got plastic bags?

Bring them to the library, which partners with Trex to recycle them into composite lumber. When the library collects 1,600 pounds of “soft” plastic (the stretchable type), the library receives a FREE TREX bench. The library already received one bench in 2024 and is currently collecting to earn another one! Check out this previous article about what types of plastics are accepted.

Got sensitive papers that need shredding?

The K.I.S.S shredding bin comes to the library quarterly! The next bin will be downstairs in August.

If you think about it, a library is the original reduce and reuse! So keep being amazing and sustainable by recycling more than you ever thought possible at the Claverack Free Library.