Bloomfield Has New Rule On Plastic Bags; Some Residents Confused

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Okay, Bloomfield… just so it’s clear. Don’t put plastic bags in your recycling bins.

That’s the message the Bloomfield Department of Public Works and Parks (DPW) sent out last week. But the township’s advisory about the new recycling policy is causing confusion for some local residents, according to social media buzz.

Here’s an excerpt from the DPW’s advisory about the plastic bag change, which was posted to the municipal website and social media on June 26:

“New regulations by the state of New Jersey have deemed single-use plastic shopping bags ‘non-recyclable,’ and the township’s recycling contractor is no longer accepting them.”

Director of Public Works and Parks Anthony Nesto said that the new state policy has caused “a lot of confusion” between recycling vendors and the municipalities they serve.

“As of right now we cannot accept plastic bags, and we ask residents to not put any recycled goods inside of plastic bags either,” Nesto said.

Nesto said that Bloomfield residents need to comply with two new rules:

• Don’t put plastic bags out for recycling
• Don’t put “commingled recycling goods” inside of plastic bags

“Unfortunately the state made that decision and again I believe it has something to do with the bags jamming up the gears and conveyor belts at the recycling centers,” Nesto wrote on social media. “So while we understand it's a pain for some to change over, it's something that we all must do.”

• See related article: Chinese Export Market Is Changing The Way Millburn Recycles
• See related article: Hey NJ, How Do You Feel About Paying For Plastic, Paper Bags?

Bloomfield officials added:

“A cursory survey of curbside recycling carried out by the DPW found that only about 20-25% of residents use plastic bags to hold their commingled recycling. The DPW asks that these residents switch to putting all their commingled recycling into large bins which can be dumped into recycling trucks on their regularly scheduled pickup days. The DPW asks residents who may still store their commingled recycling in plastic bags to bring these bags to the Recycling Depot 230 Grove Street every Saturday between 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., where staff members will empty the bottles and cans into recycling containers and return the bags or dispose of them in the trash. The Township of Bloomfield will continue to disseminate information and updates about recycling policies. Residents with any questions or service requests are encouraged to call the DPW at 973-680-4127.”

The DPW provided an update on the situation on June 28:

“We have finally gathered and confirmed all the OFFICIAL facts regarding not being able to use plastic bags to store your commingled recycling. Plastic bags should now be disposed of in your regular garbage.”

CONFUSION OVER THE NEW POLICY

The Bloomfield DPW’s initial announcement about the change caused dozens of comments on social media, many from confused residents.

• “That doesn't make any f****** sense! I been living in New Jersey all my life. never had New Jersey have a problem with the plastic bags now all of a sudden they do?!?! That is such b*******.”
• “Why didn’t we get any mailing about this? Our entire street was passed over yesterday with no explanation. Several of us have called but have not gotten through. This township has a really terrible communication problem. We’d all appreciate a heads up about this. And if it just did go through, you should have had a transitional period during which we were made aware of the new procedures. I shouldn’t have to comb through Facebook to find this type of information.”
• “I had chairs for recycling and left them on the curbside as the office directed me to do but no one picked them up today. They’re not metal so I wasn’t sure what to do since my car is too small to drive them to Grove St.”
• “What about paper bags? Can I put my commingled recycling in a paper bag?” (According to Nesto, the answer is “no.”)
• “Does this include clear recycling bags?”

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