POLL: Will New Single Stream Recycling Encourage You To Recycle More?

As Middletown residents clean up from Fourth of July celebrations, they will be freed from sorting recyclables.

On Monday, the township transitioned to single stream recycling, which means all permitted recyclable materials can be put into the same containers. No more collecting glass, plastic and metal containers for one pick-up, and newspapers and cardboard for another pick-up weeks later. The materials will be sorted for reuse at a recovery facility.

Recyclables will still be collected twice a month, but residents can put all their recyclables out at once, said Mayor Anthony Fiore in a press release.

The switch to single stream recycling is part of new garbage and recycling collection contracts with Republic Service/Marpal Disposal and Future Sanitation. According to Fiore, the five-year contracts will save the township nearly $500,000 compared to the previous contracts.

“It’s a real win-win situation. Under the new contract the township will be able to reduce costs and increase services,” said Fiore. “In addition to the convenience and environmental factors, single stream recycling will make the collection process more efficient, cut costs and generate new revenues.”

With single stream recycling, all cans, plastic containers, bottles, jars, cardboard, newspapers, office papers and mixed papers (junk mail, magazines, coupon inserts) can be placed into the same containers, weighing up to 50 lbs.

There is no change to the collection schedule. All recyclables will be collected twice a month based on the existing schedule by zone, said Public Works and Engineering Director Ted Maloney.

The Kanes Lane drop-off recycling center does not yet accept mixed recyclables, so materials brought to these locations must be separated. For details, visit the Public Works Dept. website.

“I encourage everyone to recycle as much possible. The more we reduce what we send to the landfill means more savings on disposal fees. It also means greater revenues from the sale of the recyclables collected,” said Mayor Fiore.

Tell us in the comments if you think single stream recycling will encourage more participation by members of your household in the recycling effort, and if you will put more things out for collection.