Changes To Recycling In East Hanover, Florham Park Starting Soon

EAST HANOVER, NJ — Starting this month fewer types of plastic items will be accepted for recycling in East Hanover and Florham Park, Morris County’s Recycling Coordinator Liz Sweedy said.

Only plastic containers with the 1, 2, and 5 codes are acceptable in curbside recycling now. The changes are a result of restrictions on recycling imposed by China, Sweedy said.

The following items will be accepted curbside:

• Containers that are coded #1 (PET, Poly-EthyleneTerephthalate) include water, soda and salad dressing bottles, microwavable food trays, and peanut butter container.
• Containers coded #2 (HDPE, High Density Polyethylene) include milk jugs, shampoo bottles, and butter and yogurt tubs.
• Containers coded #5 (PP, Polypropylene) include ketchup and syrup bottles, and some yogurt containers.

Aluminum cans, glass bottles and jars, steel (tin) cans, newspaper, corrugated cardboard, mixed paper, and organics that include leaves, grass clippings, brush, logs, stumps, branches and tree parts will all still be accepted for recycling.

All recyclables should be clean and empty before being placed at the curbside.

The following types of items will not be accepted through curb-side recycling:

• Plastics with no container code (no number in a recycling symbol);
• Plastics coded #3 (V, PVC Vinyl), which include cooking oil and mouthwash bottles, clear food packaging, and PVC piping;
• Plastics coded #4 (LDPE, Low Density Polyethylene) used in plastic shopping bags and trash bags;
• Plastics coded #6 (PS Polystyrene) used in disposable cups, plates, egg cartons, and clamshell take-out containers;
• Plastics coded #7 (Other) used in three-to-five gallon water jugs and some food containers.

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