Millburn Privatizes Garbage and Recycling Pickup

Recycling and garbage pick up will no longer be conducted by the township, but instead will be privatized, potentionally saving the township millions over the next five years.

The Millburn Township Committee Tuesday night awarded a $2-million 3-year contract for garbage and recycling pickup to the Giordano Company of Newark.

Committee Member Theodore Bourke presented a report on the cost savings, saying that moving away from using Department of Public Works will save about $800,000 the first year and possibly as much as $4.5 million in the next five years.

"It's one of those things where every objective was met and it was crystal clear that we had to do this," Bourke told Patch. "We would save money, maintain services and still take care of our employees. We were fortunate in that way."

Public Works employees who currently work in garbage collection will start working with the roads division and the township will reduce the number of trucks it has from 10 to five, using those for leaf collection.

Bourke said the township started planning for this more than a year ago and did not replace employees who retired or left, instead covering the workload with part-time employees and extra hours or overtime. So only about five or six employees transfered to the roads division to fill vacancies there.

Under the contract, garbage and recycling pickup days will remain the same, but the "above the call of duty" services will likely decline, he said. And, residents should get used to better following the guidelines.

The township has used Giordano in the past for recycling and the company familiar with the township, he said, and the company will start in January.

Bourke’s presentation on the contract is now posted on the township’s website.