Hazardous Waste Day 7/12/08
The next Hunterdon County Household Hazardous Waste Day is scheduled for Saturday, July 12^th, 2008, from 9:00AM-1:00PM at the Hunterdon County Complex, on Route 12, in Flemington. Pre-registration is not necessary, although there are quantity limits on some materials. A separate day to drop off propane cylinders and electronics is scheduled for June 16^th.

Items Accepted
Aerosol cans,
Asbestos Pipe Wrap,
Battery acid,
Computers & Monitors,
Diesel Fuel,
Drain cleaner,
Driveway sealer,
Fuel oil/Sludge,
Gas/Oil mix,
Gasoline,
Fluorescent bulbs (securely wrapped),
Herbicides,
Insecticides,
Kerosene,
Latex paint (condensed into full cans),
Mercury (thermostat switches),
Oil paint (in full cans),
Paint thinner,
Pesticides,
Photographic Chemicals,
Pool chemicals,
Propane Tanks, and
Varnish/Stains.

Containers larger than 20 gallons are not accepted. People are limited to 10 gallons or 80 pounds total, except Motor oil, Anti-freeze, and batteries.

Complete details are available at the County's Hazardous Waste Day site.
County Solid Waste & Recycling Services
County Recycling Center Up and Running

The Hunterdon County Recycling Center is there for when you miss a regular recycling collection, or if you don't use a private garbage hauler that provides that service. The Center now accepts comingled containers--green, brown, clear glass; tin cans; aluminum beverage cans; #1 & #2 plastic bottles (that have held a liquid)--and cross-tied newspapers only. Primarily for cost-savings and to address contamination issues, the other materials previously accepted have been eliminated.

The Recycling Center is located on Petticoat Lane, in Annandale (Clinton Township), just off Rt 22, across from the Clinton Honda Dealership, and is open Monday-Friday from 7:00AM-5:00PM, and Saturdays 7:00AM-1:00PM.

Also, if you miss one of Tewksbury's Clean Up Day, or can't wait 'till the next one, the Transfer Station accepts bulky waste from residents on Saturdays, from 10:30AM-1:00PM. The cost is $20 per automobile, $30 per truck, $10 per trailer--please note the cashier only accepts CASH, and a deposit is required before you unload. For more information on what the HCTS accepts, or directions, phone the County Division of Solid Waste & Recycling at 236-7111, or see the Transfer Station Web Page.

Township Clean Up Day
The Township's next Clean Up Day will be held sometime this fall. Clean Up Days are generally held from 8:00AM-12:00NOON, at the Municipal Garage (169 Old Turnpike Road).

Clean Up Day is for items too large for your regular garbage collection.

Examples of items accepted at Clean Up Days are:
Building materials—limited to pieces 6 in length.
NOTE: BULK WOOD IS NO LONGER ACCEPTED AT CLEAN UP DAY
Tires (taken off rims) will be accepted for a charge of $2/car tire, $5/truck tire (not over 17").
Furniture and appliances.
Bulky waste-almost anything too large for regular garbage collection
Used Bicycles.

Items Not Accepted:
Automobile parts,
Chemicals or Hazardous wastes
Concrete,
Explosives,
Gasoline
Household garbage,
Leaves, grass, and other Yard trimmings,
Paint,
Propane or other gas tanks,*
Regular recyclables,
Stones.

* Propane or Gas tanks may be taken to Clean Up Day only if they have been emptied and the valve assembly removed so there is no possibility that they contain gas.
Some retailers that sell propane in tanks (as for barbeque use) will accept empty tanks for exchange, or return; sometimes for a fee.

Clean Up Day is limited to waste generated in Tewksbury by its residents, and residents are limited to one pick-up truck load per household. For more information, phone the Municipal Building, 439-0022, ext. 740, from 8:30AM to 4:00PM.

Pre-cycling
In addition to recycling, reusing, and composting your waste, there are steps you can take to ensure that the non-recyclable waste you create is minimal...steps you can take BEFORE the garbage is created.

Take a quick look at what is in your garbage now–the part you're not recycling. Does it consist of a lot of disposable, single-use products? Is there a great amount of excess packaging? If so, figure out what you can do to reduce or eliminate these items from your daily life. For example, disposable shaving razors could be replaced with reusable, cartridge-type, razors. Many items can be purchased without the package. Make changes that are compatible with your lifestyle, so you will be more likely to keep them up.

Other simple suggestions include:

• Take your own reusable bag when shopping.
  
• Don't buy what you don't need.
  
• When buying disposables, choose products in recyclable packages and recycle them.
  
• Purchasing recycled products completes the recycling loop.
  
• Select products with the least amount of packaging. Excess packaging wastes resources and money–$1.00 of every $11.00 you spend on groceries pays for packaging!
  
• Choose products that are safe and non-toxic.
  
• Let your voice be heard! Tell store managers, manufacturers and legislators! (One letter is often considered to represent the opinion of 100-1,000 people!)
  
• Take a reusable mug to work or meetings, instead of using disposable cups.
  
• Invest in reusable containers to take lunch to school or work.
  

Don't just recycle what you buy, make it a point to buy what you can recycle.

Can It
Empty food and aerosol cans, as well as aluminum beverage cans, are accepted with comingled containers at the Hunterdon County Recycling Center (although spray cans from pesticides and cleaning products should go to a Hazardous Waste Day).

Paint cans, from latex or paints can be thrown into the regular garbage, once the contents are dry. "Dry" means nothing comes out when it's turned upside down. Latex paints will dry up if left in a well-ventilated place (such as a garage), with the lid off (be sure they are not accessible to children, pets, or pests).

If you use a private hauler for your recyclables, check with them about preparation requirements.

Plastics Prep
Type Talk
Plastics can be a very mysterious material because each type is made of different chemical components. It is therefor essential that only like types get recycled together. The Hunterdon County Recycling Center only accepts #1 and #2 plastic bottles which originally held liquids in with comingled containers. Each plastic bottle should be marked on the bottom with a type number inside the recycling triangle symbol. Some containers other than bottles may have the #1 or #2, but they are manufactured by different methods which make them incompatible with bottles for recycling. Unless you can find a way to reuse them, please discard these other containers with your regular trash.

No No. 7
That?s "#7"-type plastics. The most visible example type #7 containers is the "Tropicana" 1-gallon jug. Stamped on the bottom is the recycling symbol with a "#7" inside. It also bears the legend "#2 compatible", but the market that purchases plastics from the County says that "#7 is #7" and will not allow us to include it with our #1 & #2 plastics. Some people choose not to buy juices in plastics other than #1 or #2 because they cannot be recycled.

If you use a private hauler for your recyclables, check with them about preparation requirements.

All Tied Up
As stated above, the Hunterdon County Recycling Center is now only accepting bundled newspapers for recycling.
Newspapers need to be cross-tied, with a natural-fiber twine (no nylon, wire, tape, or pantyhose), in bundles under 1' high.

Junk Mail, Magazines/Catalogues, and Corrugated Cardboard are no longer accepted.

If you use a private hauler for your recyclables, check with them for preparation requirements.