Did you know that most items we use on daily basis can be recycled?

In Hudson County, recycling has become an important method of waste management. Materials that were once thought to be unrecyclable are now being commonly recycled. However, there are still some materials that cannot be recycled and those that can need to be prepared correctly for recycling so that they can be reprocessed into new products.

Commingled Recycling
It is important to be aware of what exactly goes into your commingled recycling bin. These commingled containers should contain:

• Plastics #1 & #2
• Glass bottles
• Aluminum and tin cans

These commingled containers should NOT contain:

• Food products
• Plastic bags
• Styrofoam
• Plastic lids & caps

Aluminum, Tin and Steel Cans
Typically, the only kind of aluminum your town wants set out for curbside collection is aluminum beverage cans. You can test if a can is aluminum or steel by using a magnet: a magnet won’t stick to aluminum. Unless indicated differently, glass, aluminum, steel and tin cans can be commingled for collection.

Glass
Recycle only glass bottles and jars from food, beverages and medicine. Do not recycle light bulbs, glassware, ceramics and window glass, which are each made of different ingredients, and by different processes.

Plastics
Plastics can be very mysterious because each type is made up of different chemical components. Therefore, it is essential that only similar types get recycled together.

All commingled bottles should be rinsed and free from contaminants prior to being placed in your recycling bin. In addition, always remember to remove caps and lids and dispose of them in your trash!

Paper
Paper and paper products comprise approximately 32% of the waste stream in Hudson County. There are many different types of paper:

Corrugated Cardboard
Although you would think many packages such as cereal boxes, egg cartons and the like are made from cardboard, these are actually made of chipboard or paperboard. When recyclers say cardboard, they mean the heavy cardboard usually found in boxes used for packing materials (two layers with a “waffle” layer in between).

Chipboard & Paperboard
Chipboard & Paperboard ARE recyclable in all municipalities. Single-ply paper packaging, such as cereal boxes and gift boxes, are currently accepted for recycling in Hudson County municipalities. This material is of a very low quality and has usually been recycled before it comes to you as packaging.

Mixed Paper
Don’t forget to recycle your mixed paper! You can recycle unwanted mail, greeting cards, gift wrap, magazines, books (remove hard covers), and other scrap paper.

Phone Books
Formerly, Hudson County municipalities have participated in telephone book recycling programs sponsored by the former Bell Atlantic. Now, telephone books can be included with your community’s mixed paper collection. Over the years, several hundred tons of telephone books have been collected for recycling.

Hi-Grade Office & Computer Paper
This paper includes white letterhead, copy and computer paper. As a separate commodity, it usually commands a higher price.

What about plastic bags?
Plastic bags should never be found in your recycling containers, as they clog machines at recycling facilities and significantly slow down the process. Make sure to drop off your plastic bags at designated drop off stations like your local grocery store.

What about shredding & reusable bags?
In an effort to accommodate all those wishing to participate, please limit your documents to no more than 40 lbs. For further information, contact the HCIA’s Environmental Hotline: (201) 324-6222 ext. 3225 or visit www.hcia.org. Documents will be commercially shredded safely, privately and properly by trained, licensed and bonded document destruction specialists. Residents may bring documents in whatever type of container they wish. Please remove binder clips from your documents. Credit Cards cannot be shredded. These events are open to Hudson County residents. Businesses are not eligible to participate.

*NEW*- Hudson County residents can donate their new or gently used reusable bags at our shredding events. They will be sanitized and used for food distribution at local food banks.