The following is an ‘Ask The Mayor’ question submitted to TLS, and the Mayor’s response. Email your questions for the Mayor to [email protected].
Question:
Hello,
Thanks for your time.
I have noticed recently that the workers collecting the recycling have begun to take out items which don’t get recycled. I understand the reason they’re doing this is because it costs the township a lot of money when it gets rejected by the county with these non-recycleable items.
However, these hard-working men have been dumping these items all over the street. (Literally littering.) Maybe they can carry garbage cans/bags on their truck and dispose of it that way, or put them in the garbage bins that are on the street already. It’s just ironic how we’re putting everything at the curb neatly, only to have it strewn around by these workers. And it only gets worse when the wind blows it all over.
Definitely, the public needs to get educated about what gets recycled and what not. People don’t seem to know too much about it. They don’t know if pizza boxes, milk bottles or cereal boxes are supposed to get recycled.
Thanks for listening,
Yaakov
Response from Mayor Coles:
Sorry for the late reply. I have been discussing a recycling education campaign with our township manager. Since reading about the recycling problem the county is having, I have been second guessing myself as to what should or should not go into the recycling can. We will definitely start getting the word out about proper recycling techniques, not simply telling folks what should not go in the can, but emphasizing what should be recycled.
We also need to work on how we deal with improperly recycled items. I emailed our manager this morning about having a crew with a truck visit neighborhoods prior to recycling pickup and inspect the recycling cans. If improperly place items are discovered they can be put in the truck. They would document what they found and we could prepare a recycling report card for the resident, not to issue summonses or warnings, but to educate folks about how to properly dispose of items that might be confusing.
Thanks
Ray
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You said you were going to try and fix the light by chesnut and the 9. That was a couple of months ago, are you still working on it?
@mayor
What happen to the stickers with list of items shown, to be recycled. It should be placed on the can. As well as a magnet dor the fridge no?
If the recycling is becoming more stringent and isn’t profitable the way it was it should be discontinued. We sit have extra energy to start sitting for out our trash more than we have been. We spend too much time in traffic and we don’t have extra time to sort out trash. Besides if we get the recycling trucks off the road it will be easier to get around f the congested roads.
The only people making money recycling is the private contractor running the recycle center. They get the money and any overflow money goes to the Towns. They get paid no matter how much money is recouped from the sale of the scrap.
I love recycling. It bothers me to throw things away in the regular trash which potentially could be reused. However I was putting all plastic containers into the recycling and now I find out that not all are allowed. So please enlighten us. Thank you.
I have two garbage cans in the kitchen. Recycling has no bag and we empty it straight outside to the yellow can. No big deal at all.
Witnesses this today.
(Live in a development with many that dont have internet access, and are thereby uneducated in the new recycling regulations.)
Workers threw some non-recyclables out from the yellow dumpster and onto the grass area, about 10 feet down.
The regular trash dumpster was inches away….