FREEHOLD – Monmouth County officials urge residents to keep plastic bags out of recycling, and put recyclables in curbside containers.
“By correctly recycling, we save the county money and protect the environment from additional landfill space,” said Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone. “We want to make sure all Monmouth County residents are informed of the correct practices and that they are recycling as much as possible.”
Residents should reuse plastic bags as much as possible or take them to a local retailer where they can be recycled.
“We are finding that many residents are either lining their recycling containers with large bags or placing their recycling into plastic bags and then into the recycling containers,” said Metzger. “Consequently, the recycling is not getting picked up in many municipalities because it is not disposed of properly.”
The following items must be recycled:
- Glass bottles and jars
- Metal cans: aluminum, tin or bimetal or non-hazardous aerosol cans
- Plastic bottles: Only types with pourable neck smaller than body, such as soda, water or detergent bottles.
- Paper, cardboard, junk mail, newspapers, magazines
Don’t forget to empty and rinse these materials before recycling.
The following items should not be put in recycling:
- Plastic bags of any kind
- Margarine, yogurt, food storage/takeout plastics or diaper wipe containers
- Aluminum foil, plates, trays or cookware or any metal scrap
- Lightbulbs, ceramic dishes, glassware or windows
- Lids or caps
- Leaves or grass clippings
- Any paper or cardboard that has been used such as napkins or pizza boxes
For more information on recycling do’s and dont’s, see the Monmouth County Resident’s Recycling Guide at visitmonmouth.com or contact the Recycling Department at 732-683-8686. ext. 6721 or 8967.
