Hunterdon County Recycling Annual Update

Hunterdon Recycling Annual Update: Residents And The Environment Benefit

Recently, Hunterdon County’s Department of Public Health released its 2018 Recycling Program Update, reporting a reduction in waste that is harmful to residents, wildlife, and the environment, made possible through grants at no cost to local taxpayers.

Freeholder Susan Soloway, the Board’s liaison to the Department of Public Health, said, “The update indicates there have been a record number of residents at the County’s recycling events throughout 2018. It is encouraging to see community members concerned about the environment and taking that extra step to bring their hazardous waste, propane tanks and smoke detectors to Route 12 for safer disposal.

Future generations will thank us for these efforts and programs and we are already seeing in 2019 a continuation of this record trend.”

In 2018, over 2,400 residents participated in four hazardous waste collection events, collecting a total of 133 tons, and more than 2,000 residents dropped off electronic waste, with more than 100 tons of electronic waste collected.

The tire collection program reported that almost five hundred tires were recycled, and will continue through 2019.

Newer to the recycling calendar, Smoke Detector Collection was added in the fall of 2018, with more than 50 collected. This program will also continue in 2019.

The Hunterdon County Department of Public Health is providing a new recycling program to County residents. Air conditioners and dehumidifiers are available to be recycled, by appointment, at the Route 12 location. Residents should call, Monday through Friday, between 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, to schedule an appointment.

The next Hazardous Waste Cleanup Day is on Saturday, March 9. Electronic Waste Cleanup Days are March 23, June 8 and September 14. Smoke detectors can be dropped off to the Health Department any weekday during business hours.

Hunterdon County annually disposes of more than 110,000 tons of waste at an average cost of $70 per ton. Each ton of recycling can be processed at 1/3 of the cost of disposal of the same materials.

If County residents and businesses were able to redirect just 10% of the materials that are now being thrown away to recycling, the cost savings for the residents and businesses of the County would surpass half a million dollars annually.

Freeholder Soloway continued, “A recycling program which promotes an overall healthier county, using grant funding, is a program the Freeholder Board fully supports.”

For more information, visit http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/recycling.html for all recycling dates during the 2019 calendar year or call 908-788-1351 with any questions or to set up an appointment for drop off.