In Nutley: How To Get Rid Of Unwanted Garbage Cans (See Dates, Map)

NUTLEY, NJ — Nutley’s experiment with a recycling program for unwanted garbage cans was a success – and it will now go townwide, officials say.

Nutley recently switched to a new garbage collection system, which became effective on Jan. 2. New trash bins are part of the switch. See Related: Here’s How Nutley’s New Garbage Collection System Will Work (VIDEO)

With the new bins now officially in play, many Nutley residents are finding themselves with old garbage cans that they no longer need. That’s why officials are launching a township-wide program that will give them a way to recycle those bins in an “environmentally friendly way.”

In an effort to iron out the kinks before launch day, the town held a one-day trial run of the bin recycling program on Jan. 11 on several streets between Coeyman Avenue and High Street. See Related: Nutley Will Experiment With Garbage Can Recycling Program

That program is now going townwide. The program will run from Jan. 25 through March 29.

Beginning on Saturday, Jan. 25, the township will be broken up into zones, with each zone assigned a specific collection date (article continues below):

Here are some guidelines to keep in mind if you’re planning on getting rid of a garbage bin, officials said:

• Accepted Items – Old, damaged, or unwanted garbage containers (any size/material)
• Not Accepted – Old blue or green recycling containers, or any container that has been cut up
• Containers must be completely empty, clean and clearly labeled with a tag or sticker marked "Recycle"
• Place curbside by 7 a.m. on the assigned collection day
• Once a section has been completed, crews will not return for late put-outs
• Snow dates only apply when a zone cannot be completed due to snow conditions

“We realized this was going to be a monumental task, collecting what could be 10,000 containers of all shapes and sizes, so we initiated a pilot program in a small section of town,” Nutley town commissioner Joseph Scarpelli said.

“The program allowed DPW to assess what kind of trucks worked best, the amount of manpower needed to collect the old containers, how long it took to finish collecting this small area of town and then extrapolate what we could finish in a full work day,” Scarpelli said.

“In addition, we would have to transport these containers to our recycling vendor,” he continued. “So we also needed to see how to best stack these containers, how much room they took up in a 40-yard dumpster, and how many dumpsters would be necessary.”

Along the way, local officials and the Nutley Department of Public Works listened to residents’ concerns about bringing the old containers to a central drop-off.

“There is much more that goes into this than people realize,” Scarpelli added.

“My goal is to make this as convenient as possible for residents who want to dispose of their old containers, while also doing it in an environmentally responsible way,” the commissioner said.

“Our hope is that some people will reuse or re-purpose the old containers by using them as compost bins or rain barrels, but for those who still want to get rid of these old containers I would rather recycle them before they wind up at the landfill or incinerator,” Scarpelli said.

For more information, contact the Department of Public Works at 973-284-4958 or visit www.nutleynj.org/recycling.

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