The numbers

Two full years from the town's own reports, plus 2025 totals. Per-ton figures are computed from them.

2024: DPW Recycling Division annual report

Processed: 1,372 tons, of which 468 recycled, a 34% recycling rate Town data
Revenue: $63,169.39 from recycled materials, per the report. The table below sums to $56,789.57; the rest is smaller items like wire, batteries, and computers Town data
Disposal fees avoided: $57,096, which works out to about $122 a ton. This is the rate used across the site Town data
New in 2024: A storage building behind the center, so material can be held or shipped as prices dictate. E-waste stripped in-house since late 2023 Town data

Material	Tons	Revenue	Per ton
Scrap metal	132	$18,495.95	$140
Corrugated cardboard	105	$11,151.99	$106
Mixed paper	106	$2,913.18	$27
Newspaper	38	$3,982.05	$105
PET (#1 plastic)	0	$0.00
Textiles	18	$1,820.00	$101
Tires (a cost to the town)	12	$2,771.00 cost
Food waste (composted on site)	11	$0.00
HDPE (#2 plastic)	0	$0.00
Aluminum cans	15	$18,426.40	$1,228
Steel cans	0	$0.00
Total	437	$56,789.57

Other lines, 2024	Amount
Transfer station permits (1,667 sold)	$8,335.00
Town of Sharon contribution	$9,775.18
Pay-as-you-throw trash, 583.90 tons	$80,673.00 cost
Demolition bin, 320.05 tons	$54,644.00 cost

Pay-as-you-throw and demolition are what the town pays to dispose of trash and debris, about $138 and $171 a ton respectively Inference.

2025: totals only so far

1,054 tons processed, $59,183.43 in revenue from recycled materials, $33,062 in disposal fees avoided Town data. The breakdown by material isn't posted yet. Styrofoam has been collected since December 27, 2024 and goes to the Gilford, NH transfer station.

2023: Recycled Materials/Revenue Breakdown

Material	Tons	Revenue	Per ton
Scrap metal	206	$28,742.00	$140
Corrugated cardboard	116	$6,742.26	$58
Mixed paper	103	$2,401.05	$23
Newspaper	20	$1,862.00	$93
PET (#1 plastic)	17	$1,160.25	$68
Textiles	12	$1,228.50	$102
Tires (fees collected at drop-off, not a sale)	8	$1,969.80	$246
Food waste (composted on site)	9	$0.00
HDPE (#2 plastic)	0	$0.00
Aluminum cans	0	$0.00
Steel cans	0	$0.00
Total	491	$44,105.86

Source: Town data. The tire line is fees collected at drop-off, not a sale. Rows with zero tons are materials the center collects but didn't ship that year.

Other revenue, 2023	Amount
Pay-as-you-throw bag sales	$83,009.00
Disposal fees	$46,015.13
Permits	$6,920.00
Town of Sharon	$15,955.00
Total	$151,899.13

The disposal fee, the invisible number

Every ton the town buries costs a disposal fee. The town's own 2024 report puts the avoided cost at $57,096 for 468 tons recycled, about $122 a ton Town data. An earlier version of this site used a regional estimate of $85. Applying the town's rate to 2023's 474 tons sold gives roughly $57,828 not spent that year, on top of the $44,105.86 earned Inference.

Per ton, the avoided fee is worth more than the sale for everything but metal. Mixed paper earns about $23 a ton and avoids about $122. That's the math behind every "is it worth it" question on this site.

The facility

Facility: Peterborough Recycling Center (John Isham Recycling Center), Scott Mitchell Rd, Peterborough NH 03458 Town data
Hours: Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat, 8:00 to 5:45 Town data
Serves: Peterborough and Sharon State data
NHDES facility ID: 3184, permit DES-SW-PN-24-007 issued 05/06/2024. Type: collection, storage, transfer. Status: operating. State data
Storage cap: 420 tons on site State data
Permits: $5 per year. 1,384 issued in 2023. Town data
Pay as you throw: Since Nov 1, 1999. As of April 1, 2024: ten 15-gallon bags $11.50, ten 33-gallon bags $23.00. Town data

Sources

#15 DPW Recycling Division 2024-2025 Annual Report (PDF). Town of Peterborough Town data
#16 DPW Recycling Division 2025 Annual Report (PDF). Town of Peterborough Town data
#2 2023 Recycled Materials/Revenue Breakdown (PDF). Town of Peterborough Town data
#1 Recycling center page. Town of Peterborough Town data
#4 Facility profile, facility 3184. NHDES OneStop State data