RECYCLING IN ISLAND HEIGHTS

 

THE ISLAND HEIGHTS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO REMIND THE RESIDENTS OF ISLAND HEIGHTS TO REDUCE, REUSE, AND RECYCLE!

                                               

NEWS FLASH!!!

 

          The Borough is in receipt of a grant from the Ocean County Department of Solid Waste to build a recycling center at our Public Works Department.  This will enable households to recycle items when the need arises instead of having to wait for the regularly-scheduled pickup (street-side pickup will continue, of course, even after the recycling center is built).  The lot has been cleared and the project will be going out to bid very soon.

 

REMINDERS

 

There are a few items which we would like to bring to your attention.

 

*        Please do not put plastic HYPODERMIC NEEDLES in with your recycling.  Place used needles and syringes in a coffee can with a lid or a plastic bottle with a top.  When full, tape the lid shut and label as "needles" and discard in your trash.

 

*        TIRES and COMPUTER EQUIPMENT cannot be picked up by the Island Heights Public Works Department or by Waste Management.  Please refer to the Ocean County Department of Solid Waste Management website (http://www.co.ocean.nj.us/SolidWaste/index.htm  or the website for the Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program (http://www.bbep.org/recycle.htm)

for more information on how to recycle unusual items.

         

LEAF PICKUP

 

 

          The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has instituted very strict stormwater regulations which all municipalities must now follow.  This means that no one (including landscaping companies) is allowed to rake or blow any leaves or debris into the streets for pickup.  Please bag your leaves, LEAVE THE BAG UNTIED, and stack them for pickup by the Public Works Department.  Please leave an open container (one of your trash bins) for return of your bags to keep plastic litter out of Barnegat Bay.

 

          If the bags are left untied and they’re not stuffed too tightly, you’ll also be more likely to be able to re-use them, saving you money and the public works employees time.  This is a very big job for our guys, and it’s to everyone’s benefit to help the process run smoothly.

 

          Also, please think about COMPOSTING some of those leaves to help improve your soil in the spring.  Ocean County’s sandy soils benefit tremendously from applications of organic compost, and we all have the ability to make our own healthy compost right in our own backyards.  For more information on composting leaves, log on to:  http://www.epa.gov/reg3esd1/garden/comp.htm

 

PLEASE HELP!!!

 

Recycling:         Saves tax dollars by reducing trash disposal costs.

                        Conserves natural resources.

                        Reduces air and water pollution, including greenhouse gases.

 

Did you know?  Ocean County is paid by the ton for its recyclables and after replacing the equipment it needs for its county recycling program, distributes the remainder to all its municipalities.  So the more we recycle, the bigger the check Island Heights will receive!

 

If you have any other recycling questions, please call the Ocean County Solid Waste Management Hotline at 1-800-55-RECYCLE. The Hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.