New Jersey enacted a mandatory recycling law in 1987. Having never passed a bottle law, New Jersey forced counties to recycle three materials in addition to leaves. Counties generally choose to recycle aluminum cans, glass bottles, and newspapers, using curbside pickup as a collection method. Curbside recycling programs follow the same basic rules throughout New Jersey, and your local program may include additional materials. Always check with your local recycling coordinator for the latest news and updates on your local program.
Even if you don’t receive cash, some recycling services in New Jersey will offer you gift cards or credits that you can use at designated stores to get discounts on things you want. This freedom is granted because each county is in a different proximity to where recycled materials eventually end up. With commodity prices at record lows, companies such as Atlantic Coast Fibers and waste management are increasingly charging municipalities for all materials that cannot be easily recycled. There are many such businesses across the country and you can identify these recycling services in New Jersey that will take your garbage and turn it into new products, such as toys, tissue paper, and other products.
Some municipalities, including Clifton, have been able to remain profitable by requiring residents to meticulously separate and clean recyclables. Clean bottles, metal cans, and plastic containers with a 1, 2, or 5 in the triangle at the bottom, as well as newsprint, papers, and cardboard, are the only items that can be reliably recycled, say area recyclers. In fact, some recycling centers in the county partner with private interests who are quite willing to pay for aluminum cans. Ron Lottermann, recycling coordinator for Fair Lawn, said his city has been pressuring residents to produce cleaner recyclables for two years and is making inroads.
Paper recycling services in New Jersey are willing to pay generously for you to bring them different types of paper or cardboard for recycling. To reduce the costs of recycling operations, city officials recently decided to significantly reduce hours at their recycling center, saying residents can and should pick up their items on the curb. Single-use bags can be returned to some supermarkets for recycling, but they are increasingly banned throughout New Jersey. Municipalities save money on their waste disposal if they recycle material, so indirectly New Jersey residents save money, through lower tax rates.