Ocean County municipalities gearing up for 'continued environmental and economic benefits' through recycling

All of Ocean County’s 33 municipalities are expected to sign five-year Recycling Center Use and Revenue Sharing Program agreements for the new year, allowing for “continued environmental and economic benefits,” a recent press release from the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders stated.

Photo via Google
The county's municipalities receive financial
benefits from the agreements, as well.

“This action allows us to continue working with our towns in providing the best possible recycling opportunities,” said Freeholder James F. Lacey, who serves as liaison to the county’s award-winning recycling program.

The agreement outlines the proper use of the two regional recycling centers and the acceptable recycling materials. The Southern Recycling Center is located off Stafford Park Boulevard in Stafford Township, and the Northern Recycling Center is located off New Hampshire Avenue in Lakewood.

The agreement also provides towns with the benefit of the county’s Revenue Sharing Program, which allows for the distribution of 50 percent of the county’s recycling revenue.

“This program provides municipalities a dividend based on the amount of material recycled,” Lacey explained.

“Recycling comes with numerous benefits for our residents and towns,” added Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari. “Because of all the components of the program, including paint management, electronic recycling, household hazardous waste collections, paper shredding and all the materials included in single-stream recycling, we are saving landfill space and decreasing the amount of items dumped illegally.”

Next year marks the fifth year since the county implemented single-stream recycling, Lacey noted.

“This has proven to be a great success as we see the recycling rate increase,” he said. “Our residents have done a great job in embracing single-stream recycling. Placing all materials into one bin at the curb has made the program as convenient as possible. Residents don’t have to bundle papers or place recyclables in plastic bags. As a matter of fact, we urge them not to use plastic bags because they can damage the recycling machinery. All materials can remain loose and mixed together in one container.”

The county’s Single Stream Processing Center, a “premier public/private partnership between Ocean County and Waste Management Recycle America,” opened at the Northern Recycling Center in October 2010, Lacey noted. Waste Management made an investment of over $3 million to the single-stream processing modifications, while the county contributed close to $1 million in replacing the aging baler, electrical upgrades and observation gallery modifications.

“Our residents and municipalities saw early on the benefits from this project, which made recycling easier,” Lacey said. “I encourage all of our residents to recycle. It really helps make a difference here in Ocean County.”

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.