New Recycing Plan Starts March 1

Tuesday, March 1 marks the beginning of the Township’s new single-stream recycling plan. Residents who receive curbside recycling pickup under the new system can combine bottles, cans, plastics and paper into one bin to be collected weekly.

“Curbside recycling collection is changing for the better,” Township administrator Frank Bastone said in a letter to township residents. “Previously, you separated bottles and cans from paper and cardboard. Now you will be able to put all of those materials in one container that will be collected every Wednesday."

The move to single stream collection will make Montville the first township in Morris County to utilize such a plan. Under the township’s previous recycling collection agreement, paper products were separated from plastics and collected on alternating weeks.

The single-stream collection is part of the township’s new waste collection contract with Waste Management. Under the new two-year plan, Montville could save as much as $215,000 compared to the previous contract, according to the township committee.

“Recycling saves you money,” he said in the letter. “For every ton of household waste that is recycled, the Township saves $94. Removing 10 percent of the recyclable materials thrown in to the garbage in 2010 and recycling them would have resulted in savings of over $80,000.”

The new recycling plan also allows residents to recycle electronics, such as computers, television and monitors at the Lincoln Park recycling center on George Cobb Lane. Bastone said in the letter that the shared service is limited to electronics.

Bastone said that packages with new stickers for recycling bins have been sent out to residents. Those who have not received stickers can pick up a new recycling package, including an explanation letter and stick, at the municipal building.

Under the new recycling plan, the following items can be combined in one bin for weekly pickup:

• flattened cardboard
• magazines
• office paper
• newspaper
• brown paper pags
• plastics #1 through #7
• junk mail
• phone books
• glass bottles and jars
• paperboard
• steel cans
• aluminum cans
• pie tins
• foil