Keep—or Recycle—Old County Recycling Bins

Residents of Green Brook and South Bound Brook are reminded that a new “single stream” pilot recycling program will start in their towns in March.

It will take effect March 1 in Green Brook and March 7 in South Bound Brook.  These changes are being made in the Somerset County recycling program to increase the amount of material recycled and make it easier for residents to fully participate in the program.  

For more information, contact the county Recycling Division at 732-469-3363.

Residents of South Bound Brook and Green Brook are receiving a new blue, 96-gallon, wheeled recycling cart for the collection of both paper and commingled materials.  The carts must be placed curbside the night before your collection day with the wheels facing the curb or the house. In addition, do not place the cart within five feet of any obstructions such as mailboxes, trees or cars.

“Single stream” means that paper items can be mixed with commingled bottles and cans in the same container.  Materials will be placed in the same truck and taken to a special recycling plant where items will be sorted for recycling. Newspapers and cardboard boxes do not have to be tied.  All materials must be placed inside the cart; materials outside the cart will not be collected.

Always recycle your valuable materials such as glass bottles, aluminum and metal cans, plastic bottles marked #1 through #7, and plastic containers, including peanut butter, yogurt and diaper-wipe containers, margarine tubs and clear-plastic clamshell containers from salad bars. Corrugated cardboard, chipboard, newspapers, junk mail and magazines also must be recycled.

Do not include plastics that do not have a recycling symbol. For instance, plastic bags, Styrofoam®, toys, garbage cans and flower pots are not considered recyclables.  Also, it is very important that all jars, bottles and plastic containers are thoroughly cleaned and rinsed to prevent contamination. Contaminated items will be considered trash and eventually will make their way back to the landfill.

There will be several new materials collected curbside in only South Bound Brook and Green Brook. These will include rinsed-out paper milk and juice cartons, clean aluminum foil and empty aerosol cans. 

Collection schedules will remain the same for South Bound Brook and Green Brook.  For recycling pickup dates, visit www.co.somerset.nj.us/recycle/recyclescedule.html 

The new single-container approach is an effort to address the county’s declining recycling rate. The collections will be performed by automated vehicles, which employ state-of-the-art equipment using a single mechanical arm to lift and empty the recycling containers into the collection vehicle.

The changes to the program are expected to increase recycling volumes in the coming years.  Increasing residents’ participation in turn will increase recycling tonnage, which enables the county to obtain grant money to enhance the recycling program.

Green Brook and South Bound Brook residents are welcome to keep their old recycling buckets if they wish.   However if you no longer want your old bucket, contact the Recycling Division at 732-469-3363 or RecyclingDiv@co.somerset.nj.us to arrange for your old bucket to be picked up.