Burlington County Residents Helped I-95 Reopen — By Recycling

BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ — Interstate 95 reopened Friday for the first time since the fatal overpass collapse. And Burlington County residents helped make it possible.

AeroAggregates of North America — a Delaware County, Pennsylvania-based manufacturer — used ultra-light foam glass aggregate rocks as fill for the I-95 repair in Philadelphia. Burlington County is one of the company's major suppliers of recycled glass that AeroAggregates uses to manufacture the rocks. Last year, the county shipped 7,100 tons of glass to the company.

"It’s a great example of where recycling ends up and how it can make a difference," said Tom Pullion, deputy director of the Burlington County Board of Commissioners. "Every glass bottle and jar we toss into recycling containers matters, so we encourage our residents to continue to recycle right."

Before Friday, a portion of I-95 had been closed since June 11, when a tanker truck carrying gasoline lost control and caught fire under the overpass, causing the structure to collapse. The closure has significantly impacted South Jersey, bringing more travelers to major roadways across the Delaware. Nate Moody, the trucker killed in the crash, was also a South Jersey resident.

• Read more: South Jersey Trucker Killed In I-95 Crash Was A 'Devoted Family Man'

Burlington County residents can continue assisting with such repairs by recycling materials such as glass bottles and jars. Labels can remain on jars and bottles, but caps and lids should be removed, county officials said. Glass food containers should be rinsed.

The county collected more than 84 million pounds of glass, paper and other recyclables, saving more than $3.7 million for BurlCo municipalities and property taxpayers, officials said.

For more info about recycling in Burlington County, visit burlcorecycles.com or call 609-499-1001.

The reopened stretch of highway is temporary as officials work to get the permanent highway reconstruction plans in place.