The Official Web Site of the Borough of Garwood

Please help us keep landfill costs down!

Bulk pick-up is for Garwood residents only. Your tax dollars pay for this service. The more bulk, the more it costs to dispose of. Do not let your relatives or friends bring their bulk into our community for disposal. If you are aware of this happening, please call the Garwood Police Department (789 - 1500) immediately.

RESIDENTS SHOULD PREPARE THEIR MATERIALS FOR DISPOSAL ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING:

2008 DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS SERVICES

HOUSEHOLD GARBAGE PICKUP - **NOTE** Garbage pickup is once a week commencing November 1st until December 5th, 2008.
Household garbage (excluding bulk) is picked-up curbside for all residential units located within the Borough according to the attached schedule. All household garbage is to be placed in a covered watertight receptacle, not to exceed 35 gallons. The receptacles are to be placed curbside after 6:00 p.m. the night before the scheduled pick-up. GARBAGE NOT PLACED IN THE APPROPRIATE RECEPTACLES OR CONTAINING RECYCLABLES WILL NOT BE PICKED UP. BRUSH, LEAVES, GRASS AND CHRISTMAS TREES MAY NOT BE MIXED WITH HOUSEHOLD GARBAGE.

BULK GARBAGE PICKUP
**NOTE** NEW BULK PICK UP SCHEDULE FOR 2008 IS AS FOLLOWS. THREE TIMES ANNUALLY FOR EACH SIDE OF TOWN, MARCH, JUNE, SEPTEMBER FOR THE NORTH SIDE AND APRIL, JULY, OCTOBER FOR THE SOUTH SIDE.
Please refer to the schedule for bulk waste pickup dates and page 4 of this newsletter for "Bulk Waste Guidelines". Bulk waste regulations will be strictly enforced. Bulk garbage is to be placed curbside after 6:00 p.m. the night before the scheduled pickup. Any bulk garbage, which is placed at the curb before that time, will be subject to a summons. THE DEPARTMENT CANNOT SCHEDULE SPECIAL BULK COLLECTION DAYS. BULK WASTE WILL ONLY BE PICKED UP ON THE SCHEDULED DAYS.

RECYCLING (See schedule for curbside pickup by Great Northern Recycling)
(See page 5 of this newsletter for the recycling rules and regulations)
DO NOT LEAVE RECYCLABLES AT THE RECYCLING CENTER OFF WILLOW AVENUE. THE CENTER IS NOT OPEN FOR RESIDENTIAL DROP OFF.

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
The County holds special collection dates and sites for hazardous materials such as, aerosol cans, antifreeze, batteries, caustics, corrosives & cleaners, fire extinguishers, fluorescent bulbs (unbroken), thermostats, mercury switches, oil based paints & varnishes, pesticides & herbicides, pool chemicals, gasoline, solvents, thinners, tires and electrical components including televisions and computer monitors. Please call the Bureau of Environmental Services Hotline at (908) 654-9889, or visit their website at www.ucnj.org/impinfo/index.htm, to find out the next scheduled location and date for disposal of hazardous materials. It is unlawful and environmentally unsafe to place these materials in with your household and bulk waste.

WHITE GOODS PICKUP
Appliances including washing machines, dryers, hot water heaters, stoves, ovens, refrigerators, air conditioners and water softeners are picked-up by appointment only. Do not place white goods at the curbside until an appointment has been made for pickup. A record of these items will be kept by DATE, ITEM, RESIDENT, and ADDRESS. Only one type of each of the above-mentioned appliances will be picked up per residence yearly. Please call the Department of Public Works to schedule an appliance pickup. PLEASE NOTE: APPLIANCES WILL NOT BE PICKED-UP ON SCHEDULED BULK GARBAGE DAYS.

GRASS AND BRUSH PICKUP
Grass and brush will be picked-up curbside from April to October in accordance with the attached schedule. Brush must be cut to a maximum length of four feet and shall be bundled in bundles of no more than fifty pounds or containerized as per regulations for grass. Grass must be placed in covered trash receptacles of no more than thirty-five gallon capacity or in biodegradable bags. Such receptacles or bags may not exceed fifty pounds. GRASS PLACED IN PLASTIC BAGS WILL NOT BE PICKED UP. The Borough strongly recommends that residents use mulching blades on their lawn mowers and leave the grass clippings on your lawn to help the Borough reduce the large amount of grass, which is picked-up yearly.

CURBSIDE LEAF PICKUP AND BAGGED LEAF PICKUP
Loose leaves will be picked-up curbside by schedule to be included in the Fall/Winter 2008 Edition of "Just the Facts" Newsletter that will be mailed in September of 2008. All instructions for bagging leaves and placing leaves curbside for pickup will be covered in the newsletter.

CHRISTMAS TREE PICKUP
Christmas trees will be picked-up curbside every Wednesday in January ending on January 31st . Christmas trees for the final pick-up must be placed at the curb by 7:00 AM on January 31st.

USED MOTOR OIL AND OIL FILTERS
Used motor and oil filters may be brought to the Public Works Facility located at 15 South Avenue during the day, Monday thru Friday between the hours of 6:30 AM and 3:00 PM. There is a 10 quart per person limit. DO NOT PUT WASTE OIL OUT WITH YOUR GARBAGE OR LEAVE IN FRONT OF THE PUBLIC WORKS GARAGE AFTER HOURS.

SANITARY SEWER
The Borough operates the sanitary system. The Borough is only responsible for the maintenance of the main sewer line. The lateral service connection (between the home and the main sewer line in the street) is the responsibility of the resident. If a backup occurs in your home and you suspect that the problem is in the main sewer line, you may call the Department of Public Works during the day, Monday thru Friday at 789-1522 or after hours please contact the Garwood Police Department at 789-1500.

RESIDENTIAL GUIDELINES FOR SNOW PLOWING
" Cars are to be removed from the street once 3" or more inches of snow has accumulated.
" Sidewalks are to be cleared by the resident within 24 hours of a snowstorm.
" On two-way traffic streets, shovel your driveway by the street to the right. If you live on a dead end street, shovel the snow towards the dead end side of the driveway. If you live on a one-way street, shovel the snow towards the end of the street side of the driveway. The plows will then carry the snow away from the driveway, which will minimize the amount of snow pushed back into the driveway.
" Do not shovel or blow snow into the roadway.
" It is recommended that you wait until your street is plowed curb to curb before clearing your sidewalk or driveway.

For any questions, problems or concerns regarding the Department of Public Works, please call Fred Corbitt, Superintendent at 908-789-1522.

BOROUGH OF GARWOOD BULK WASTE GUIDELINES
1. "BULK WASTE"- Items other than Household Garbage. For example: Box spring/mattress, table, chairs, cabinets, all furniture, couches, love seat, recliner, audio equipment, toys, rugs and padding (must be cut to 4' lengths, rolled and tied-up), wood 2 x 4's cut to 4' length and tied-up in bundle (not to exceed 50 pound weight limit), gasoline power equipment no larger than a standard 21" push mower (all gasoline and oil must be completely removed). Call (908)789-1522 if you are not sure regarding an item to dispose of.
2. "BULK WASTE" items not picked up by the Borough:
" Materials that may be deemed dangerous or injurious to the health and welfare of the residents of the Borough of Garwood or the agents and/or employees of the municipality, such as poisons, acids, caustics, explosives, other hazardous wastes, soil, large rocks, boulders, broken concrete, or hot or warm ashes, are not acceptable for collection.
" Materials required by this Chapter to be separated from residential or non-residential solid waste for recycling or other purposes are not accepted for collection.
" All building material and debris are not acceptable for collection and shall be otherwise lawfully disposed of by the property owner or resident. It is the responsibility of the property owner or the resident to contract with a private trash hauler to obtain a dumpster to dispose of any building materials and debris. The terms "building materials" and "building debris" shall include, but not be limited to concrete, cement, plaster, stones, cinderblocks, concrete blocks, drywall materials, fencing, plaster, wood, windows, aggregate, brick, siding, insulation, pipe, plumbing fixtures (including but not limited to bathtub units, sinks and toilet bowls), and any other materials used in construction or which are accumulated from excavating, construction, building, demolishing or repairing any structure. In any prosecution under this section, the presence of any such materials or debris on or about any premises shall be presumed to have accumulated from excavation, construction, building, demolition, or repairs on the premises.
" "HOUSEHOLD GARBAGE" (i.e. food, etc.) will not be picked up on the "BULK WASTE" pickup day.
" "HAZARDOUS WASTE (i.e. paints, solvents, thinners, petroleum products, batteries, televisions, computer monitors, tires etc.) will not be picked up with bulk waste. To dispose of these items, residents need to contact the Union County Bureau of Environmental Services Hotline at (908)654-9889.

CONDITIONS AND REGULATIONS
" "BULK WASTE" amounts shall be limited to a total pile size not to exceed 4'h x 6'w x 6'd (5.3 cubic yards) per resident.
" Any tenant or property owner who is moving or vacating a property may only put out the limited pile size amount stipulated above. It is the responsibility of the property owner or the tenant to contract with a private trash hauler to obtain a dumpster to dispose of additional materials, which may exceed the pile size limit.

RECYCLING RULES AND REGULATIONS
" NEWSPAPERS - must be clean and tied in bundles that are no more that 12" thick. The bundles may not include paper bags, magazines, telephone books, or junk mail. Must be stacked on the ground.

" CORRUGATED CARDBOARD - must be clean, flattened and tied in bundles. NO paper bags, magazines, telephone books, junk mail, or newspapers will be collected in these bundles (see mixed paper).

" MIXED PAPER - must be tied in bundles no higher than 12". Materials placed in plastic will not be collected. Acceptable materials include magazines, glossy catalogs, coupon inserts, envelopes, color news inserts, sweepstakes forms, notebook paper, construction paper, real estate listings, mixed color paper, photocopy and fax paper. Unacceptable materials include food boxes and chip board. Newspaper and corrugated boxes cannot be combined with mixed paper.

" GLASS AND PLASTIC / ALUMINUM AND TIN CANS - must be well rinsed with all caps and lids removed and placed curbside in a sturdy, reusable container. Plastic should contain the PET, PETE, or HDPE mark or the number 1 or 2 in a triangle imprinted on the bottom of the bottle.
" The following items will not be accepted: Windows, glass, dishes, pyrex, mirrors, crystal, squeeze bottles, packaging, plastic wrap, or containers holding food or hazardous materials, such as motor oil, anti-freeze, paint cans, or spray cans.

Information about Plastic
Plastics are used everywhere today, from packaging to car parts to building construction, and production is growing rapidly, leading to increased waste. That's why plastic recycling, which has been widely available since the early 1990s, is more important than ever.
THE CHALLENGE
-Plastic production is up. A record amount of plastic was produced in the U.S., a total of about 115 billion pounds, according to the American Plastics Council.
-Most plastic is made from nonrenewable resources. Plastics are typically made from fossil fuels, including oil and natural gas.
-Plastic waste is increasing. The amount of plastic in municipal solid waste has increased from less than 1 percent of the total in 1960 to 11 percent, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.
-Plastic recycling rates are down. The recycling rate of the most widely collected type of plastic (#1-PET) has dropped by about a third in the last decade, from one in three containers being recycled to about one in five, according to the Container Recycling Institute. This means that, of the 50 billion single-serve beverage bottles expected to be used and about 40 billion will end up in landfills, or as litter.
THE OPPORTUNITY
-We have the capacity. According to the American Plastics Council, we're only using 25% of our nation's recycling capacity. That means the plastic you put out at the curb is most likely being recycled, as promised, and there's room for a lot more. But if your plastic is not cleaned or the lids are not removed it may not be recycled. Please remember to remove the lids and clean your plastic.
-There is a market for recycled plastics. Once collected and sorted, plastic is processed into small pellets or flakes and sold to manufacturers, which then use it to create new plastic products. The majority of collected plastic, #1-PET and #2-HDPE bottles and containers, is turned into fiber, including carpet and clothing, as well as nonfood containers, including detergent, motor oil, and household cleaner bottles.
HOW YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
1. Get to know your plastic. Since the late 1980s, many plastic products have been labeled with one of seven codes indicating the type of material they're made from. These are the familiar numbers and letters inside "chasing arrows" found on the bottom of plastic containers. The most commonly recycled types are #1-PET and #2-HDPE, while the other five are much less likely to be collected.
2. Follow your community's recycling guidelines - recyclables must be rinsed with all caps and lids removed. Plastic should contain the PET, PETE, or HDPE mark or the number 1 or 2 in a triangle imprinted on the bottom.
3. Give preference to products made from recycled content. Whenever possible, use products made from recycled plastic. Look for those labeled "made with recycled content" and especially those "made with post-consumer recycled content," which are made with materials that have actually been used, rather than with manufacturing waste that never reached consumers.
4. Reduce when you can. Try to cut down on the amount of plastics you use in the first place. Alternatives, such as cotton shopping bags, reusable water bottles, and refillable containers can go a long way toward reducing the amount of plastics that enter the waste stream.