Where to Recycle All Your Stuff in Marlboro and Colts Neck

Need to find a new home for old computers, toys your kids have outgrown, or paint you're not going to use? Here is our guide to getting stuff out of your basement and into all the right places—that is, everywhere but the landfill. 

Find out how to recycle everything from cereal box tops to soda tabs in Marlboro and Colts Neck.

Clothing: Cleaning out your closet gives you the opportunity to help others in need or maybe even make some extra cash. Here are a list of places to donate, sell and recycle unwanted items from your wardrobe.

There are clothing donations bins at the local firehouses, including Robertsville Fire Company on Route 520. Lowe's on Route 9 South also has donation bins.

Local towns impacted by Hurricane Sandy are also still collecting goods. In both Union Beach and Keansburg, people can drop off most items at the respective Town Hall locations, where staff and volunteers will sort and distribute.

Toys: As your children get older and are gifted more toys, they outgrow certain playthings that can benefit less fortunate children. Consider donating to Toys for Tots, or go to www.donationtown.org to find out how you can get toys picked up from your home. 

Electronics, Computers, Cellphones: Even though that old computer and last year's iPhone seem outdated, there are plenty of people who could put them to good use. For example, many women’s shelters collect working cellphones for women in domestic abuse situations so they can call 911 if needed, explains HowStuffWorks.com. Here are some other examples of local organizations where you can donate, sell or recycle your used electronics.

Staples has free electronics recycling. Visit the company website for a list of acceptable items.

Furniture: Even though you think you can never have one too many end tables, chances are, they will get tucked away into a hall closet and be forgotten in months. To give yourself more storage space, consider donating or selling your old furniture to the places below. 

Habitat for Humanity of Monmouth County will pick up large pieces of furniture for free. Visit donationtown.org to schedule a pickup.

Too old to donate? Marlboro Township has free bulk-recycling for residents.

Paper Shredding Services: Looking for a way to get rid of old documents but don't want to risk someone seeing your private information? Here are some paper shredding services nearby.

During the summer, Colts Neck Township will be hosting a peper shredding event at Town Hall. Check back with Marlboro-Colts Neck Patch for dates.

Newspapers, Magazines and Other Paper: According to environment.about.com, recycling one ton of paper can save 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water, 380 gallons of oil, 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space and 4,000 kilowatts of energy. Here are some ways you can recycle the old mail, used magazines and last week's newspaper that are cluttering your counters and coffee tables. 

• Marlboro Recycling Schedule 2013
• Colts Neck Recycling Schedule 2013

Plastic: According to Earth911.com, recycling 1 ton of plastic saves 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space. While it's pretty easy to recycle bottles in town, other plastic items can be tricky. However, many grocery stores offer recycling programs for plastic bags and product wraps. Here a list of nearby places where you can recycle plastic items from your home.

• Marlboro Recycling Schedule 2013
• Colts Neck Recycling Schedule 2013

Glass:  Glass is a very efficient material to recycle, because it takes much less energy and money to recycle the material than to make it from scratch, according to curiosity.discovery.com. Here is a list of ways to get rid of empty wine bottles, condiment jars and other glass products in town.

• Marlboro Recycling Schedule 2013
• Colts Neck Recycling Schedule 2013

Cereal Box Tops: A lot of schools collect these to make money for their PTAs and other organizations. Every little bit helps. You can find a list of participating products here and a list of drop-off spots below.

• All Marlboro and Colts Neck schools accept box tops