Delaware develops online recycling education tool

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) has released Recyclopedia, a new tool to help the public and businesses determine the quickest and easiest ways to recycle materials. The web-based application offers what the department calls an “easy-to-navigate, pictorial guide for more than 200 commonly used recyclables and where those can be recycled depending on the user’s ZIP code.”

“Recyclopedia is a new and exciting way DNREC is harnessing technology to reduce the amount of recyclables sent to our landfills,” says DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin. “One of our challenges is confusion about what and how to recycle. Recyclopedia is a one-stop resource to help everyone know how to recycle right.”

According to a news release from DNREC, Recyclopedia users can determine whether items should go in the trash or to a curbside or drop-off recycling location. For example, a search for “milk jugs” on the web-based tool tells users they are accepted in curbside recycling carts, whereas a search for “coffee cups” tells users they are not accepted in curbside recycling.

DNREC’s Division of Waste and Hazardous Substances hired Ontario-based software developer iWasteNot Systems to develop Recyclopedia. The program is available in more than 100 languages. DNREC reports that it will update the program regularly to ensure opportunities for recycling are up to date.