Somerset County Hosts Recycling, E-Waste Drop-Off Events For March

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — Somerset County residents are invited to dispose of unwanted recyclables and electronic waste at two events on Saturday, March 7.

The First Saturday Drop-off and the E-Waste Drop-off events help residents with proper disposal as the spring season approaches. In February, 341 residents attended these events, according to the county.

The First Saturday Drop-off will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Somerset County Recycling Center, at 40 Polhemus Lane in Bridgewater.

Accepted items include up to eight tires, scrap metal, used motor oil, oil filters, antifreeze, and curbside materials such as plastic bottles and food containers marked #1 through #7. Chipboard items like gift, shoe, shirt, and retail boxes are also accepted, along with cereal, cookie, pasta, cake, and cracker boxes without plastic liners, poster board, writing pad backings, and empty dried-out steel paint cans. Textiles are not accepted at this event, and residents are advised to use local charity donation bins for them.

The Electronic Waste Drop-off event will also run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the South County Public Works Garage, located at 410 Roycefield Road in Hillsborough.

This event accepts computers, monitors, televisions, printers, scanners, cameras, DVD players, e-book readers, VCRs, phones, circuit boards, modems, cables, wiring, power supplies, and controllers. Batteries are not accepted at the e-waste event; residents can recycle household hazardous waste, including lithium and rechargeable batteries, at scheduled Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off events.

For both events, proof of Somerset County residency is required, with accepted documents including a valid driver's license, lease, tax bill, or utility bill. Businesses and commercial vehicles are not permitted.

Pre-registration is not required. Residents must remain in their vehicles while staff unloads materials, unless otherwise instructed by staff at the e-waste event.

The county encourages residents to prepare materials properly for recycling. Clean, dry materials should be placed in the correct containers. For those using the 20-gallon blue bucket program, rinsed containers, glass jars and bottles, and cans should go directly into the bucket, with cardboard and newspapers bundled separately.

For the dual-stream tote program, rinsed plastics, glass, and metal belong in the yellow-lid commingled tote, while flattened cardboard, chipboard, and paper go in the green-lid paper tote.

Trash or food waste should not be placed in recycling containers. Paper towels, napkins, and tissues are not recyclable and should be disposed of in the trash.

More information for the First Saturday Drop-off can be obtained by contacting the Somerset County Recycling Center at 732-469-3363 or visiting www.somersetcountynj.gov/recycle.

For electronic waste inquiries and a full list of accepted items, residents can contact the Somerset County Division of Solid Waste Management at 908-231-7109 or email solidwaste@somersetcountynj.gov.

Residents can also use the free Recycle Coach app for recycling information. To download the app, visit bit.ly/SCRecycleCoach2025.