Holiday Recycling and Reusing Reminders in Lakewood
Patrick Donnelly, the director of Public Works for Lakewood and Steven Hill, the recycling coordinator for Lakewood, remind residents to be especially mindful about recycling during the holidays.
According to the Ocean County Department of Solid Waste Management website, “During the holidays there is a 25 percent increase in trash added to the nation’s landfills. Uneaten food, gift wrap, and packaging adds an extra million tons of garbage! Almost three billion greeting cards, wrapping paper, gift bags, and decorations end up in the nation’s landfills each holiday season.”
What can you do to help? You can recycle gift boxes and corrugated boxes, tissue paper, Kraft paper bags, catalogs, junk mail*, and envelopes. Do not put the following in the yellow recycling receptacles: NO foil paper, NO ribbons or bows, and NO greeting cards NO gift bags, NO paper tubes from gift wrap, NO Styrofoam, NO artificial trees.
Because of the amount of glitter, plastic film, and paperboard pop-outs used in greeting cards, they cannot be recycled; but you can reuse greeting cards and even gift wrap for art projects. Save gift bags and reuse them. Bring used peanuts from packaging, foam blocks, and other packaging materials to local mailing centers. Donate unwanted gifts or decorations to charities and nonprofits.
Trees: Sorry, but artificial trees you want to discard are considered bulk trash. Call Lakewood Public Works at 732-905-3405 to schedule a pickup. Consider replanting any natural holiday trees or maybe even compost them. Natural holiday trees can also be scheduled for pickup by Public Works. Call 1-877-627-2757 or visit www.oceancountyparks.org/, the website of Ocean County Parks for information about dropping off trees yourself from December 26 through January 31.
*Did you know that the average American receives more than 500 pieces of junk mail each year, about a tree for every household! Halt the delivery of junk mail by calling companies directly or visit http://.41 pounds.org or http://www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailinglist/
Ocean County owns and operates two recycling centers, one in the northern region of the county and one in the southern region. The Northern Recycling Center (732-367-0802) is located on New Hampshire Avenue (off Route 70) in Lakewood Township. The Southern Recycling Center is located at 379 Haywood Road (Manahawkin) in Stafford Township. Both facilities close on select county-observed holidays; however, 24-hour resident recycling centers at both sites remain open year-round.