Automated Recycling Cans Start Going to Residents This Week

Brick residents will begin receiving automated recycling cans Wednesday.

The 95-gallon cans will be the same size as residents' current trash cans, and as a result, pickup will be switched to a bi-weekly schedule from weekly pickup.

The township expects the assembly and delivery of the cans to all residents' homes will be complete in four to six weeks. Once every home in the township has an automated can, the town will begin its automated collection, Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis said in a statement.

"The move to automated recycling will provide long term savings to taxpayers through decreased landfill tipping fees and increased recycling revenue," said Acropolis. "Based on our conversations with other towns that automated their recycling, we expect a significant increase in the amount our citizens recycle."

The automated recycling program will also allow the township to "redeploy resources to other areas of need in the Public Works Department," said Acropolis.

Better participation in recycling could pay off for township taxpayers.

An uptick of 10 percent in recycling participation will mean a savings of about $200,000 for the township in tipping fees associated with normal garbage disposal at a landfill, Business Administrator Scott Pezarras has said.

Data collected by the township shows between 36 and 38 percent of residents recycle.

Identifying neighborhoods with low participation will get easier once the automated recycling program is in place, Pezarras said. Modern automated recycling cans come with tiny chips located inside that are tracked when the truck dumps its contents.

Pezarras said that will allow the township to target future informational campaigns with the intent of increasing participation.

Residents are being asked by the township to refrain from using the new cans until the program is actually in place and the new automated trucks are ready to begin their routes.

"Automated cans are not compatible with traditional recycling collection," said Public Works Director Glenn Campbell. "Our crews will not collect from homes that use the automated cans before the transition."