FREE RECYCLING BINS AVAILABLE FOR RESIDENTS
As part of the transition to a single stream recycling system, the City of Hoboken is making free recycling bins available to residents on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to the change to single stream recycling, recyclables must now be placed by the curb directly within covered containers and may not be placed within plastic bags.
The bins are available for pickup at the Municipal Garage located on Willow Avenue between Observer Highway and Newark Street Monday through Friday, 9am through 4pm and on Saturday, June 11 from 9am to noon. There is a limit of one bin per household, and residents should bring proof of address.
Residents who wish to use their own bins may also pick up free recycling stickers to label their containers. Stickers are available at the Municipal Garage and the City Clerk’s office in City Hall.
Hundreds of communities across the country have already made the switch to single stream recycling, a system which involves the use of an automated facility to separate recyclables after they are collected. As a result, residents will see a few major changes:
1) No need to sort. All recyclables (plastic, glass, aluminum, paper – full list at www.hobokennj.org/recycle) can now be placed within the same container.
2) More recyclable materials. In addition to plastics with symbols #1 and #2, residents can now also recycle plastics with symbols #3, #4, #5, #6 and #7.
3) Place recyclables directly in containers. Because plastic bags cause problems with the automated facility, recyclables should no longer be placed within plastic bags. They should be placed along the curb directly inside containers with a lid.
4) Two days of pickup. The schedule for recycling pickup – Tuesdays and Thursday – will not change, however residents may now place all of their recyclables out for pickup on both days.
By increasing the total rate of recycling and expanding the range of accepted materials, switching to single stream recycling is expected to save the City hundreds of thousands of dollars per year through reduced tipping fees for garbage collection and increased revenue from recycling. However because the automated machinery cannot process plastic bags, contamination of the materials with plastic bags will greatly reduce the income the City receives from recycling. Therefore, residents should begin to place recyclables directly into covered containers and not within plastic bags. Residents should clearly label recycling containers or identify them with recycling stickers.
“It will take a little time to adjust to this new system, but ultimately this is about being more environmentally conscious while saving taxpayers money and making recycling easier,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “Residents can recycle more materials than before without sorting, and they can now place all recyclables out on both pickup days.”
Additional information on recycling can be found on the City website at http://www.hobokennj.org/recycle.
Materials Accepted:
• Aluminum food and beverage containers
• Glass food and beverage containers – brown, clear, or green
• Ferrous (Iron) cans
• PET plastic containers with the symbol #1 – with screw tops only, without caps
• HDPE natural plastic containers with the symbol #2 – narrow neck containers only (milk and water bottles)
• HDPE pigmented plastic containers with the symbol #2 – narrow neck containers only, without caps (detergent, shampoo bottles, etc.)
• Plastics with symbols #3, #4, #5, #6, #7-narrow and screw top containers
• Rigid plastics which include plastic milk/soda crates, plastic buckets with metal handles, plastic laundry baskets, plastic lawn
• furniture, plastic totes, plastic drums, plastic coolers, plastic flower pots, plastic drinking cups/glasses, plastic 5-gallon water bottles,
• plastic pallets, and empty plastic garbage/recycling bins.
• Aseptic and gable top cartons such as juice, soy, broth, milk cartons, etc.
• Newsprint
• Old corrugated cardboard
• Magazines
• Catalogs
• Cereal boxes
• Telephone books
• Printer paper
• Copier paper
• All other office paper without wax liners
Materials Not Accepted:• Microwave trays
• Mirrors
• Window or auto glass
• Light Bulbs
• Ceramics
• Porcelain
• Plastics unnumbered
• Plastic bags
• Coat hangers
• Glass cookware/bakeware
• Household items such as cooking pots, toasters, etc.
Link: http://www.hobokennj.org/news/free-recycling-bins-available-for-residents/ ◦
