County welcomes streamlined recycling
Separating recyclables will be a practice of the past for Burlington County residents starting next May with the implementation of streamlined recycling.
The “big blue cart,” which residents currently use for cardboard and paper, will soon be an all-purpose recycling tool.
The county boasts single-stream as more convenient and a way to increase recycling volume as well as save money. Mt. Laurel Township manager Maureen Mitchell agrees wholeheartedly.
“It makes the lives of our residents so much easier. They don’t have to separate bottles and cans from paper or cardboard. It makes it a lot easier to recycle,” Mitchell said. “It’s a fantastic program. It helps in saving the environment, and the township as well as the taxpayers will save money. Communities throughout our township have been good about recycling and this will only improve that.”
According to the county, studies show single-stream brings with it an increase of 10 percent or more in recycling. The more people recycle, the less waste there is in landfills. Last year, recycling saved the towns more than $3.2 million in landfill tipping fees. Those cost-savings are effectively tax savings, since they improve the bottom line of municipal budgets.
Currently, the county is working to find out whether residents are in need of the signature blue cart, or a second cart to supplement the amount of recyclables put to the curb each week. Initially, the cart program did have a few detractors in Mt. Laurel.
“Homeowners associations and condo associations had concerns over the size of the bins as they are unable to store them outside residences, so, would the larger bins fit into a one-car garage?” Mitchell said. “We worked with the county to allow communities like our 55-year-old and over developments to use smaller bins.”
The county estimates that more than 30,000 homes may need an extra cart, of differing sizes. It will take months to gather everyone’s information, order the carts, and deliver the right size carts to the right homes next spring. If residents currently have a 48-gallon, 64-gallon or 96-gallon cart, they’re asked to visit the county website to determine whether they need a second one before May. Mitchell said the township has been encouraging to order a second bin now while the county is paying.
“We’ve recommended to our residents to figure out if they will need a second cart now so that they will not have to pay for it if they decide they need one in the future,” Mitchell said.
The county assured residents that the program is free of charge and the frequency of service will not change. Mt. Laurel will still provide a drop-off center for residents who have recyclables between pickups.
Currently, major facility modifications are being made to the Robert C. Shinn Recycling Center in Westampton. Following that, new single-stream sorting equipment will be installed, according to the county.
To determine whether an extra cart is needed, residents are asked to visit www.burlcorecycles.com to determine their usage and if another cart is needed.
The deadline for registration is Sept. 30.
